Come What May
by vinkunwildflowerqueen
Summary: Sequel to YOU'VE GOT MAIL. Elphaba and Fiyero have the world at their feet, they're young and in love. But there's so much more to overcome. Fiyeraba. Musicalverse. Shiz-era.
1. Chapter 1

**Come What May**

**By Vinkunwildflowerqueen**

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**DEDICATION: This story is dedicated to a friend of a friend, and fellow musical fan, Cassy, who sadly was both diagnosed and lost her fight with breast cancer during the writing of this story. RIP.**

**AN. I want to give thanks to Kelly for reading this story, giving me her thoughts when I was stuck and let me bounce many ideas off her during the process, as she does every story I write these days :)**

**Also, the first chapter isn't that exciting. Sorry. **

**Chapter One**

When the Governor of Munchkinland, Frexspar Thropp, had escorted his daughters to Shiz University for their first year the previous September, the carriage ride had been filled with noise. Nessarose had been excitedly rambling about university life, the campus, the dorms, her friends, teachers, lessons, etc. She had been so excited at the thought of attending university and beginning her journey of learning everything she would need to know so that she could one day take over from their father as Governor.

Elphaba had been just as excited, although internally, not daring to show too much enthusiasm or happiness before her father. Her father had made it clear from the beginning that she was not attending Shiz because Frex thought she needed any more education, and a part of Elphaba had felt that if she had let show how genuinely excited and happy she was to be going to university, he might change his mind. It had always seemed to Elphaba as though her father didn't want her to be happy if he could help it.

And Frex had spent any moment when Nessa fell silent informing Elphaba of what was expected of her- namely, keep her grades up, no "commotions" as he called them, and most importantly, ensure Nessa's welfare. Elphaba had nodded dutifully to each statement, always feeling so small under her father's stern gaze.

This year, it was different. Nessa was still looking forward to getting back to her friends and classes, but she was calmer and slightly apprehensive about the workload and higher expectations that would be facing them as second-year students. She had had a peaceful and enjoyable summer, but was ready to get back to work. Nessa sat quietly in the carriage, reading a novel that Elphaba had suggested for her and making the occasional comment.

Frex was silent, reading some official papers- or pretending to. Every so often he would lift his eyes slightly to peer at Elphaba, and then lower them to glare at his papers again. Even Nessa didn't dare try and break his dark mood, all the carriage's occupants knew the reason.

And Elphaba was more excited to get back to Shiz than she had been to get anywhere in her entire life. She was so full of anticipation, she couldn't sit still, although she tried to hide it. And the main reason for the butterflies in her stomach was the same reason Frex was silent and brooding.

Fiyero Tiggular. Elphaba's _boyfriend_.

No one, least of all Elphaba, had ever expected those two words to be in the same sentence. Yet here they were. In all honesty, it didn't feel real to her. Probably because in reality, she and Fiyero had only gotten two days together as a couple in person, before semester had ended and they had returned to their respective homes on opposite ends of Oz.

So, they had spent all summer the same way the real foundation for their relationship had formed- writing letters to one another. The difference this time, of course, was that the letters were now addressed to their actual names, although Fiyero persisted in referring to Elphaba as "Fae", which she didn't mind in the least.

Simply because of the number of letters they exchanged in a week, Elphaba had found it impossible to keep her relationship with Fiyero a secret from her father. Even Frex, as much as he mostly ignored Elphaba, couldn't fail to notice the frequent letters that arrived from the Vinkus addressed to his eldest daughter. Well that, and the fact that Nessa was so thrillified for her sister she was practically bursting.

Galinda, Elphaba had found out after the fact, had told Nessa the true identity of Elphaba's mysterious pen pal as soon as Elphaba had left to meet "Dathien" that fateful day. Nessa had been stunned, but won over as Boq and Galinda told Nessa as much of the story as they knew. So when Elphaba and Fiyero had finally turned up at the _Wilted Rose _to meet them all, hands entwined, no one was surprised.

Of course, they hadn't told the whole story to Frex, Elphaba wanted to keep that private. So she simply told her father (prodded and encouraged by Nessa) that she and Fiyero had met upon his arrival at Shiz, and eventually become friends, which then developed into something more. Frex hadn't exactly been thrillified that his eldest daughter was dating the scandalacious Vinkun prince, but after a blazing row with Elphaba where she insisted that she was an adult that could make her own decisions and that Fiyero truly loved her and she him; Frex had complied and relented, on the strict condition that he meet the prince at Shiz before school resumed.

Elphaba knew this wasn't for her benefit or welfare, that her father disapproved of the impact the relationship could have on their family's reputation. But it wasn't acknowledged, either by Frex or his daughters. Nessa liked to hope that Frex's fatherly concern was at least part of the reason and had tried to convince Elphaba of that, but it wasn't very convincing. The very thought of a meeting between Frex and Fiyero filled her with dread, and she wasn't sure how Fiyero would react. Not just because of everything she had told him about her relationship with her father, but she didn't think he was really a "meet the parents" kind of guy. Elphaba highly doubted that he had ever done it before. However, when she wrote Fiyero, he had agreed immediately to the condition.

"_I love you," _he'd written to her, probably sensing her doubt over the matter. _"I won't pretend I'm looking forward to it- quite frankly, I'd much rather be able to have words with him about how he's treated you. But I'm more than happy to be the polite, gentlemanly, respectful boyfriend if it means he'll accept us being together."_

It was fair to say Elphaba wasn't looking forward to this meeting- neither was Fiyero nor Frex when it came to it, but she was both excited and nervous at the idea of finally seeing Fiyero again. She was excited because... well, did she need a reason? He was her boyfriend, and Elphaba could admit that she had missed him. And she loved him. He knew her literally better than anyone else, even more than Galinda or Nessa. He knew almost everything about her.

Knowing "Dathien's" real identity and being able to address Fiyero by his real name in letters hadn't ended their habit they had formed through the pen pal program. They still exchanged deep letters, talking about both everything and nothing, often simultaneously. So as a result, there was very little Fiyero didn't know about her and she about him.

However, she was slightly nervous. Although she openly admitted she loved him, the fact they had spent so little time together as a couple made her nervous. The role of "girlfriend" was still a role she was unused to, and the unfamiliar made her nervous.

Elphaba had tried to read on the journey, but had been completely unable to concentrate, so had ended up spending most of the trip staring absent-mindedly out the window, trying to imagine all the ways this meeting could end in disaster.

"There's Shiz," Nessa broke the silence suddenly, as she looked up from her book to glance sympathetically at her sister and had her attention captured by the skyline.

Elphaba peered out the window and saw the familiar skyline of Shiz ahead of them. It was a comforting sight, it felt almost like coming home.

"It's strange to think I'm so excited about the idea of going back to a room with Galinda," Elphaba mused and Nessa laughed.

"You _are _unlikely friends," she agreed. "Do you know if she's back yet?"

Elphaba shrugged. "Her last letter said she was arriving today. I don't know if she's actually here or not yet."

"And Fiyero?" Nessa asked, stifling a smirk.

"He should be here," Elphaba replied. "He'll find us."

That left only one person in their group unaccounted for, and Nessa frowned slightly.

"It seems ridiculous that Boq couldn't come with us. We're going to the same place," she pointed out.

Nessa and her ex-boyfriend had eased into friendship over the summer after their not-so amicable breakup. But the Munchkin had declined the offer of a ride back to school with them. Elphaba suspected it was because he knew what was going to happen when they arrived at Shiz, and didn't want to be a witness to what was a bound to be awkward meeting between Frex and Fiyero.

"Sybhal is already back at the CEC," Nessa informed her sister, speaking of her pen pal. The two girls had become rather good friends, and Sybhal had even come down from the Glikkus for a few days during the summer. Frex had approved of the young girl, which amused Elphaba when she remembered the furious letter her father had sent her when he'd discoverated Nessa had a pen pal.

He'd spent most of the girls' first dinner back at home questioning Nessa about her pen pal and only when he'd learned that she was a top student from a respectable family that he had relaxed on the matter. The rest of the summer had been spent dwelling on the "issue" of Fiyero Tiggular.

"Oh?" Elphaba asked vaguely, her thoughts elsewhere. Like about half a mile down the road.

Nessa nodded. "Talk there is that there's going to be meetings this year between the two schools so that the pen pals can meet," she was grinning slightly, knowing perfectly well that the idea was rather redundant for Elphaba. Nessa and Galinda both claimed that there was never a more romantic story than Shiz or the CEC could have ever dreamed of when they created the program, than that of Elphaba and Fiyero.

Elphaba always reminded her sister that if Fiyero hadn't been expelled from the CEC, the story may have had a different ending.

"You two would have found each other in the end," Nessa argued dismissively.

Elphaba wasn't sure if she agreed, but she never said so.

Now however, Elphaba laughed at the news her sister had shared. "I'm sure that will be interesting," she replied.

Then she paused thoughtfully. "I don't know if Galinda will be interesting in meeting Tena. Is Boq in the program?" she asked, feeling slightly guilty she didn't know.

Nessa nodded. "Yes."

That made sense to Elphaba, knowing of Boq's crush on Galinda. Of course he would have signed up once he heard that she had, although she didn't say that to Nessa.

"Do they get along?"

"Well enough I suppose. I don't think he'd object to meeting him, especially if it involved a trip to the Emerald City."

Elphaba's eyes widened at that. She'd always dreamed of going to the Emerald City... and then her heart fell as reality of the situation hit her, effectively crushing the fantasies of walking along emerald streets.

"I don't know if I could go," she frowned. After all, her pen pal was at Shiz- not that anyone outside of their friendship circle _knew _that, or even knew Elphaba was _in _the program.

Nessa smiled sympathetically. "We could work something out," she comforted her sister.

Another surprising outcome of Elphaba's relationship with Fiyero, was how much closer she and Nessa were as a result. Once they were back in Munchkinland, Nessa had asked for as much of Elphaba's side of the story as she was willing to tell, and Elphaba had made an effort to open herself up to her sister.

For so long Elphaba had filled the role of carer and protector, and _mother_ more so than that of sister. Elphaba had always taken care of Nessa to ensure she had everything she needed, and was the closest thing to a mother Nessarose had ever known. But everything that had happened during their first year at Shiz had really made them _sisters_ for the first time... equals. Both girls were enjoying this new phase of their relationship, and Elphaba hoped it would last.

The carriage pulled into the grounds of Shiz and headed towards the staff quarters, where Nessarose would once again share Madame Morrible's private compartment. Elphaba drank all the familiar sights in as they passed, and Nessa commentated to their father, pointing out the library, the canal, the girls dormitory building where Elphaba shared with Galinda.

Elphaba's heart leapt into her throat as she peered out the window and saw a lone figure sitting on the steps outside, waiting patiently and basking in the afternoon sun.

Neither Nessa nor Frex heard Elphaba's fervent whisper that was barely a murmur as it escaped from her lips, almost of her own accord.

"_Fiyero."_

**AN. So, yes this story is FINALLY done. Also, I've updated my profile with a few new ways you can contact me if you want- my Instagram, another Wicked Facebook page I created (The "Wicked Debating Society" a place to debate and discuss everything about the musical and characters) and my page, where you can ask me questions (if you want). So check all that out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. I want to say thank you to everyone for their messages of condolence in the last chapter's reviews. Kelly really appreciated them all. **

**Also, I am completely blown away. 22 REVIEWS FOR ONE CHAPTER. Holy Shiz. And thanks to everyone who included their favourite line/moment from the chapter in their review. I do love reading them!**

**Chapter Two**

Fiyero watched the carriage come up the drive slowly, wondering if this was finally it. He'd been sitting on the steps outside the staff quarters, knowing that when Elphaba arrived, this would be their first stop in order to get Nessa settled- Nessa, he knew by now, was _always_ the priority, especially where their father was concerned.

Elphaba had told him she expected them to arrive mid-afternoon. Fiyero had arrived that morning, and promptly settled himself on his current seat at about three o'clock and had spent the past hour and a half anxiously watching every carriage that entered the grounds. So far, he had greeted some very bewildered staff members and been a bemusing sight for at least a dozen arriving students.

He sat up a little straighter as the carriage came directly towards him, although he still wasn't sure whether this was Elphaba or another staff member. And then he noted the small stature of the driver sitting up top and a grin began to spread over his face. He immediately sprung to his feet and straightened his clothes, subtly running a hand through his dark blonde hair. He wasn't sure who he was making sure he looked good for- Elphaba or her father. But more than likely Elphaba.

When the carriage drew to a stop, the driver immediately climbed down and removed from amongst the luggage at the back what Fiyero recognised as Nessarose's wheelchair. The Munchkin driver set it up on the ground before opening the door. Fiyero's eyes were riveted for any sign of green, but he forced himself to tear his eyes away as Nessa was helped from the carriage to her chair.

"Hello Fiyero," Nessa greeted him, not sounding nor looking very surprised to see him within ten seconds of their arrival.

"Hi, Nessa. How are you? How was your summer?" Fiyero asked.

"Wonderful, thank you. Very relaxing," Nessa replied.

A tall, thin, bald man exited next, saying nothing, but regarding Fiyero suspiciously. Fiyero kept his back completely straight, waiting to see if he would speak or if Nessa would make introductions. But before anything else could happen, Elphaba exited the carriage and immediately commanded all of Fiyero's attention.

He just stood there for a moment, grinning at her like an idiot as he drank her in, and then realised he should actually say something.

"Hi," he said, mentally kicking himself. '_Hi'?! _That's all he could think of to say to her after two months apart? It sounded utterly lame to his eyes, and he swore he saw Nessarose roll her eyes.

But Elphaba simply blushed. "Hi," she returned, sounding almost shy. Either she had forgotten how intense his gaze was, or Fiyero had just never looked at her that intensely before.

Frex stared at his eldest daughter, completely unaccustomed to seeing her act shy in any situation.

Then Elphaba seemed to remember herself and cleared her throat. "Er, Father, this is Fiyero Tiggular. Fiyero, this is my father."

Fiyero straightened up and gave a short bow towards Frex. "Governor Thropp. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Frex gave a curt nod in reply. "Your Highness."

An awkward silence fell, only broken by the sounds of the driver unloading the luggage from the back of the carriage.

In Elphaba's mind, the matter was done. The two had been introduced, they had met and now Frex could leave. But Frex evidently had other plans.

"Elphaba, help your sister inside and get her settled," he addressed her brusquely.

"Are you leaving so soon, Father?" Nessa asked, and Elphaba wanted to nudge her sister and tell her to shush.

"Not at all, Nessie," her father soothed her with a fond smile. "I just thought that whilst you and your sister are settled that Mr Tiggular and I could get better acquainted."

Elphaba didn't like that idea, especially when she couldn't be there to mediate.

"Father-"

"_Now_, Elphaba. I'm sure Nessarose is tired after the journey and would like to freshen up."

Elphaba hesitated, but couldn't protest. She stepped forward and reached for the handles of Nessa's chair to manoeuvre it up the few steps, but Fiyero hastily stepped in.

"I've got it, Fae," he assured her. "Ready, Nessa?"

He quickly got the chair up the steps, settling Nessa comfortably in the entryway to the staff quarters.

"Thank you, Fiyero," Nessa replied graciously.

"No worries," he grinned.

Elphaba picked up her sister's suitcases and climbed the stairs, meeting Fiyero's gaze.

"Thank you," she said, but her eyes were full of apology.

Fiyero smiled comfortingly, wanting nothing more than to kiss her in that moment, but figuring this probably wasn't the moment, especially with her father standing right there.

"It's ok," he replied and he knew she understood that he meant that on more than one level.

With one last reluctant glance, Elphaba disappeared with Nessa towards Madame Morrible's private compartment, leaving Frex and Fiyero alone.

As soon as they were in Nessa's room, Elphaba dropped the suitcases and dashed to the window, peering down to try and see what was going on.

"Well?" Nessa asked curiously.

"I can't see them," Elphaba exclaimed in frustration. "What could he _possibly_ say to Fiyero he couldn't say in front of us?!"

Nessa could only imagine. "I'm sure it will go fine, Fabala," she tried to soothe her sister. "Father probably just wants to ask Fiyero his intentions or something like that."

"Why? He doesn't care about _me_," Elphaba replied matter-of-factly, still looking out the window. "Why would he care what Fiyero's intentions are?"

"Because if he wants to marry you, he'll be part of the family and you'll be the Princess of the Vinkus," Nessa answered, just as matter-of-factly.

Elphaba whirled around to face her, looking mildly alarmed. _"Marry?"_

Nessarose laughed. "Yes, marry. Haven't you talked about it? I thought you two talked about everything."

Elphaba flushed. "We- we've talked about marriage before," she admitted. "Before he even knew who I was... who 'Fae' was, I mean. But that was just... the idea of marriage in general. We haven't talked about the idea of... I mean, why would we?"

Nessa rolled her eyes. "Because he loves you and you love him," she said as though it were obvious. "Galinda would tell you the same thing."

Elphaba sat on the unmade bed weakly. "We haven't even had a date yet," she reminded her sister. "I don't think we're anywhere near the point of _that _discussion yet."

Nessa giggled. "Only _you_ could be dating someone for two months and not even have had a date yet."

Elphaba had to laugh at that. "There wasn't time before term ended!" she defended herself. "We only had two days after we found out... well, after _I _found out who he was. And then we went home and he went home."

Then she sighed and bit her lip. "I hope Father isn't going to be too horrendible to him."

"Well, sitting here and wondering isn't going to help," Nessa pointed out practically.

Elphaba nodded resolutely and jumped up. "You're right. Come on, the faster we get you settled, the faster we can find them and save Yero."

Although Nessa didn't have the same animosity in her relationship with Frex as Elphaba did, she could appreciate that Fiyero must be in a very awkward position and in a very awkward conversation, and so she didn't protest her sister's wording.

"So, what _has _Fiyero said about marriage? In general, I mean?" she asked lightly, not wanting to sound like she was prying.

Elphaba paused momentarily from her act of pulling sheets and bedding out to make Nessa's bed. Nessa took that as a sign her sister wasn't going to tell her and she didn't mind that; simply wheeling herself over to the chest of drawers and reaching down for one of her suitcases to unpack.

"That it's nothing to concern yourself with until after college," Elphaba broke the silence, surprising Nessa. "If you meet the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, that's great, but it's not something that needs to be set in stone before graduation."

"Oh?"

"Which I think is sensible, actually." Elphaba continued, not looking at her sister. "I mean, I think it would be ridiculous to have to worry about planning a wedding or adjusting to being married at the same time as finishing a degree."

"I imagine that wouldn't be easy," Nessa agreed. "But he's not against marriage in general?"

Elphaba glanced over with a smirk. "Did you think he would be?"

"Well..." Honestly, given Fiyero's reputation for short-lived relationships, Nessarose had never really thought of Fiyero as the type to settle down and tie the knot. Of course, that had been before he had confessed his love to her sister and Nessa had seen the way he looked at her.

Even in the two days before semester ended, Nessa had seen that Fiyero truly loved Elphaba. At first it had hurt, because it was the way she had always hoped Boq would look at her; but it was hard to be anything but happy when she saw how loved her sister was.

"I guess he was waiting for the right person," Nessa finished her comment, finally after thinking it through for a moment.

Elphaba felt a strange shudder run through her at those words. It was so strange to think of it that way. "The right person". Elphaba had never been the right person for anyone or anything before, she was usually the _wrong _person.

Elphaba helped Nessa unpack and freshen up as fast as she could, before wheeling her sister back outside.

"Where do you think they would be?" she asked her, looking around for any sign of their father or her boyfriend.

"Elphaba, they could be _anywhere_," Nessa replied. She wasn't terribly enthusiastic of Elphaba's clear unsaid intention to trek all over campus trying to find them.

"Why don't we take your bags up to your room and then search for them?" she suggested, seeing Elphaba's suitcases still sitting outside the staff quarters building with the carriage.

"If Galinda's there, she might help us look."

Elphaba bit her lip. "Alright," she agreed reluctantly.

Elphaba turned to the driver as he approached them to help bring Nessa's chair down the steps.

"Did the Governor say where he was going?" she asked hopefully.

"No, Miss. Just that I was to wait here until he returned," the Munchkin replied.

Elphaba sighed glumly. "Thank you."

The sisters headed over to the dorm building and hurried up to the suite that belonged to Elphaba and Galinda after collecting her key from the desk in the foyer and getting her name crossed off the list so administration knew she was here.

"Well, Galinda's definitely here," Elphaba laughed to Nessa, seeing her best friend's signature next to her name on the list of students in her signature pink ink.

Nessa laughed too.

They headed upstairs to the suite the girls shared and Elphaba tried the door, finding it unlocked.

She was barely three steps into the room before there was a loud and excited exclamation of,

"_Elphie!"_

And Galinda dashed across the room to hug her best friend. Elphaba couldn't help but laugh a little as she returned the hug warmly.

"Hi, Glin. It's so good to see you."

"You too, Elphie. Hi Nessa!" Galinda beamed, pulling away from Elphaba to hug Nessa too.

"Oh, I missed you both! Did you just get here? Elphie, have you seen Fiyero yet?"

Elphaba blanched at the reminder. "Galinda, you have to come help us. Fiyero is out there somewhere with my father, and I don't want to leave them alone for too long."

Galinda didn't even hesitate or question that, she just nodded.

"Alright, let me get my purse."

"Do you know if Boq is back yet?" Elphaba asked as the three headed back downstairs.

"I haven't seen him. I thought he would have come with you," Galinda said in surprise. "Why?"

"If three people are better than two, four is better than three," Elphaba replied vaguely, and Nessarose and Galinda exchanged smiles at Elphaba's obvious flustered state.

"Elphaba, you need to calm down," Nessa stressed. "Father's not going to kill Fiyero, he's not in any danger."

"Says you," Elphaba muttered.

Galinda had more important matters on her mind. "So, how was it seeing Fiyero again? I need to know everything," she stressed. "Was it romantic? What did he say? What did _you_ say? Were you wearing _that? _What was he wearing?"

Nessa snorted inelegantly and began laughing, much to Elphaba and Galinda's shock. Nessa was always so proper and ladylike.

"Please," she answered when she could talk. "It was the most uncomfortable thing I've ever seen. Romantic? He was waiting for us when we arrived. He said 'hi', she said 'hi'. That was it."

Galinda's face fell. "That was it? You didn't even kiss?"

Elphaba blushed and avoided the question. "Can we please not worry about that now?"

Nessa sighed. "Why don't we try the canal?"

Elphaba nodded. "Sure."

The three girls headed towards the canal, keeping a watchful eye out for Frex or Fiyero.

"Over there," Nessa cried suddenly, pointing.

Elphaba looked in the direction Nessa was indicating and felt a wave of undeniable relief wash over her.

"Thank Oz. Come on," she urged and took control of Nessa's chair so that they could go faster.

There was an equal look of relief that appeared in Fiyero's eyes when he saw them approaching, which made Frex turn.

"All settled Nessa?" he greeted Nessa when they were within earshot and Nessa smiled.

"Yes, Father."

Fiyero reached out and took hold firmly of Elphaba's hand, which made her smile slightly. It was the first physical contact they'd had in two months and she'd forgotten the tingling feeling that swept through her when he touched her.

"Father, this is my best friend, Miss Galinda Upland of the Upper Uplands," Elphaba introduced Galinda.

"Galinda, this is my father."

Galinda curtseyed with a polite smile. "Hello, Governor Thropp. It's nice to meet you."

"You as well, Miss Upland," Frex replied shortly. "Nessa, I'm afraid I'd best be going."

Nessa nodded. "Of course, Father. Have a safe trip home."

Frex smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Thank you, my precious girl. Have a good semester."

Then he glanced over at Elphaba. "Elphaba, study hard and look after your sister."

Fiyero's grip on Elphaba's hand tightened at the indifferent tone, but Elphaba merely nodded.

"Yes, Father."

With another hard glance at Fiyero and a nod to Galinda, Frex strode back towards the carriage.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Elphaba turned to Fiyero.

"I'm so sorry. What did he say to you? Was it awful? I tried to find you as soon as I could, but we didn't know where you'd go and-"

Fiyero gently cut her off, cupping her face in his hands.

"Relax, Fae. It was no big deal," he reassured her.

Elphaba relaxed, exhaling slowly. "You're such a liar," she replied, but her tone was soft. It was the "Fae" that had done it, and Fiyero grinned sheepishly.

He started to lean in to kiss her, and then realised Galinda and Nessa were watching them in interest and lowered his hands reluctantly. Their first kiss after two months was _not_ going to be in front of an audience.

"What did he say?" Elphaba asked again as they began heading back towards the school.

"He didn't really _say _anything," Fiyero answered, as they watched the carriage move away and head towards the gates. "He just asked me a lot of questions."

Elphaba's eyes narrowed. "What kind of questions?"

"There's Boq!" Nessa interrupted before Fiyero could reply, seeing their friend heading towards them.

"When did you get here?" Fiyero asked him, once Boq had reached them and greetings been exchanged.

"About fifteen minutes ago," the Munchkin replied. "I dumped my stuff and came to find you guys. Did I miss it? Did you meet the Governor?"

"Yeah, he pretty much just left," Fiyero answered.

Elphaba was still waiting for an answer, and not happy about it. "Fiyero Tiggular, tell me what happened!" she demanded impatiently, stopping dead in her tracks.

Fiyero smiled. "Ok," he chuckled. "Why don't we go somewhere quieter and I'll tell you everything," he promised her.

He was hoping that they could have a moment alone and exchange a private greeting. Galinda however, either missed or chose to ignore what he was implying.

"You may as well tell us all, Elphie or you will tell us anyway and then you won't have to repeat the story," she pointed out.

Elphaba looked torn, but she sighed. "She's right," she admitted.

Fiyero supressed a groan. "Ok. How about the _Wilted Rose?" _he suggested.

"Sounds good. We can have an early dinner," Boq agreed and they all set off.

It was just after five by the time they were settled and had ordered and then Elphaba looked at Fiyero expectantly.

Fiyero didn't need further prodding to begin his story.

"Like I said, he didn't really say anything, he just asked a lot of questions."

"Questions about what?" Elphaba repeated.

Fiyero sighed. "About me. About my parents, my studies, how we met-"

"What did you say to that?" Elphaba asked.

"I said we met through Galinda," Fiyero replied. "I wasn't sure if he knew about the program."

"He knows it exists, he doesn't know I was in it. Go on."

He shrugged. "There's not much more. He asked a lot about my past."

"Your past?" Nessa repeated with a frown.

"All the stories," Fiyero elaborated. "He had a bunch of examples and wanted to know how much truth there was to them."

"How much truth _is _there to them?" Boq asked.

"Depends on the story," Fiyero admitted sheepishly.

Elphaba was quiet, they had discussed many of those stories over the summer through their letters, so she knew the answers for herself.

"And then what?" she asked finally.

"Then he asked more questions about our relationship. I answered them as best I could, but they were pretty vague. I wasn't really sure what he was asking, but I think he was trying to work out if we were... well...you know..."

No one needed him to finish that sentence.

Elphaba nodded knowingly. "He wouldn't want to risk any kind of scandal," she explained.

"That was it," Fiyero finished. "Then you guys came and he left."

They were interrupted then as their food was brought over, and when their waiter had left, Galinda spoke up.

"So, I don't understand. Does this mean he approves?"

"He doesn't get a say," Elphaba argued fiercely. "I told him that repeatedly over the summer. I don't need his approval."

"I think he'd respect that Fiyero was honest with him," Nessa spoke up in defence of Frex. "I mean, you _were_ honest with him, weren't you?"

"Yes," Fiyero confirmed. "I was honest and polite... sometimes I didn't want to be, but I was. I didn't want to give him any reason to make things more difficult for you," he said to Elphaba.

"Thank you," she replied with a smile. Then she looked over at Galinda.

"Let's change the subject, shall we? How was your summer, Glin?"

They spent the next two hours catching up, talking about their summers, classes they were taking this semester and anything else that came up. And Fiyero was going mad. All he wanted was a minute... well, preferably more than a minute, but a short time alone with Elphaba, to have a private moment with his girlfriend; but he couldn't find any way to excuse them from the group.

He was only half listening to the conversation, and heard practically nothing of what Elphaba said, because he was so busy staring at her mouth when she talked, wanting to be kissing it. Two months was a very long time to be apart when you'd had so little time together apart- although Fiyero could admit that was his own doing. He didn't plan that very well.

When it reached seven o'clock, Elphaba sighed.

"I haven't even unpacked yet. I just dumped my luggage in the room," she groaned, realising she would have to do it now before she could go to bed.

"I haven't either," Boq admitted. "I couldn't be bothered."

Nessa stifled a yawn. "I can't believe I'm so tired simply from sitting in a carriage all day."

"I'll take you back to your room, Nessa," Elphaba offered. "Will Horrible Morrible be there?"

"You shouldn't call her that," Nessa scolded her sister, but she was smiling slightly. "And she should be, yes."

Galinda shuddered. "I feel so sorry for you having to have her help you and share quarters with her."

"She's not all bad," Nessa said unconvincingly. "And she has a maid who helps me with anything I need, so it's not that bad."

Elphaba's lips tightened. She still resented that she hadn't been allowed to room with and help care for Nessa as she always had; although she couldn't deny it had worked out well for her and Galinda.

"Shall we go, then?" Boq asked.

Fiyero surprised them all by jumping to his feet.

"Everyone just wait _one_ minute," he declared sternly.

He turned to Elphaba. "I need a moment," he told her and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of her seat and out the door, leaving the others staring after them in shock.

Elphaba was just as confused, with absolutely no idea what had gotten into him. "Fiyero, what in Oz's name-"

She was cut off as Fiyero pulled her around the side of the cafe where they couldn't be seen, drew her close and kissed her. He didn't pull away until he needed to draw breath.

"Finally," he murmured in a whisper, and actually felt Elphaba's face heat up as she blushed, although he couldn't see it in the dim light where they were standing.

"Hi," he added and Elphaba chuckled.

"Hi."

"I've been trying to find a way to do that for the past _three_ _hours_," he stressed. "I missed you, Fae."

"Missed me or missed kissing me?" she teased.

"Both," he replied and kissed her again to prove it. "We've got a whole summer to catch up on," he reminded her, and Elphaba laughed as she slid her hands up to the back of his neck.

She eagerly returned his next kiss and when Fiyero deepened it, they completely forgot about everything else as they got reacquainted with one another.

They were interrupted what seemed like only a second later by a loud clearing of the throat.

Jumping apart, they both turned and saw Nessa, Boq and Galinda standing there and staring at them in amusement.

"If you two wanted to be alone, all you had to do was say so," Galinda replied pointedly, smirking.

Elphaba groaned in embarrassment, dropping her head onto Fiyero's chest.


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. This chapter is dedicated to Cory Monteith (Finn on Glee). I was absolutely shattered by the news of his death and my thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and the Glee cast.**

**This isn't a huge chapter, story wise, but I hope you enjoy it.**

**Chapter Three**

The beginning of the semester was always slightly crazy. People were settling into their rooms, doing a last minute change of subjects, buying books and supplies and trying to be organised for the forthcoming semester.

So in all the hustle and bustle of the first week, it took Fiyero a few days to notice that Elphaba seemed rather quiet and thoughtful, particularly when they were alone together. He wondered whether he should push her to tell him what was on her mind, or wait for her to come to him. Or his third option, which was to go to Nessa or Galinda and get _them _to find out what was wrong. But before he could choose, Elphaba came to him.

"Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure," Fiyero replied immediately.

They were in the cafeteria, waiting for the others to get out of class and join them. Elphaba and Fiyero were the only ones in their group studying Ozian law that semester- Fiyero because his father had told him it could come in handy when he was king, and Elphaba because... well, she wanted to. Fiyero wasn't as enthusiastic about it as Elphaba was, but it was a class with Elphaba, so he was going to enjoy it.

Elphaba looked down at the table and took a deep breath.

"Something's been worrying me a little lately... I wasn't going to say anything, but Galinda said I should."

"Galinda's much wiser than people give her credit for," Fiyero grinned.

Elphaba chuckled. "I can admit she knows much more about relationships than I do."

"Elphaba," Fiyero said seriously with a roll of his eyes. "Quit stalling and tell me what's going on, will you?"

She laughed and agreed. "Ok, ok. I've just been worried because... we've always been close, you and I. From the time we started writing to one another. Obviously not in person, but that's kind of my point."

Fiyero's face was blank. "Fae, I'm lost," he said honestly. "What are you talking about?"

Elphaba took a deep breath and tried to explain slowly. "When we were writing to each other, even before we knew who each other was, we've been close. We've talked about everything."

"Yes," Fiyero agreed.

"The thing is," Elphaba continued. "Now that we're back and together, we don't need to write to one another."

Fiyero nodded. "I'm still with you."

Elphaba avoided his gaze, looking around the cafeteria. "It was easy, when I was writing to you. Either as Dathien or as you. But... I'm not always the best about... it's not always easy for me to talk in person."

Fiyero frowned. "I know that, Fae," he told her softly, reaching across the table and taking her hand.

"But I don't want to lose this... I don't want to stop being able to talk to you. I just..."

Fiyero finally cottoned on to what she was saying. "You're worried we won't be as close because we're not writing to each other?"

"Yes," Elphaba replied, pleased he understood what she was saying. Then she winced. "Is that dumb?"

"No," he replied immediately. "I get it, Fae."

And he did. He and Elphaba had talked about everything in their letters to one another, and often their conversations went deep, much to Fiyero's initial surprise.

"So what do we do?" Elphaba asked.

Fiyero had an idea and grinned. "Leave it with me. I'll pick you up at six on Friday night, ok?"

Elphaba looked bewildered. "Pick me up? Where are we going?"

Fiyero simply grinned and stood up. "We, Miss Fae, are finally having our first date."

And then he walked away just as Galinda and Nessa entered the cafeteria, leaving them to find a stunned and confused Elphaba sitting alone.

When Galinda found out what had just happened, that Elphaba and Fiyero were having their first official date, she immediately began pestering Fiyero for details.

"If I don't know what's going on, how am I supposed to know what to make her wear?" she exclaimed in exasperation when Fiyero demanded to know why she had to know what his plans were.

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "It's casual, Glin. Just let Elphaba dress herself."

So Galinda reluctantly gave up her right to "Galindafy" her best friend, but did extract a promise from Fiyero that he would take Elphaba out for a formal date soon so that she could 'work her magic' as Galinda put it.

As much as Elphaba, Nessa and Galinda questioned him, Fiyero wouldn't relinquish any of his plans for that Friday night. Promptly at six, he knocked on their door to pick Elphaba up.

Elphaba opened the door, wearing a simple sleeveless black dress that reached her ankles and her hair in a simple loose braid over her shoulder.

"Now, can I find out what we're doing?" she greeted him with.

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "You're horrendible with surprises, aren't you?"

"Yes," Elphaba admitted. "I'm sorry, were you not there in June when you scared me half to death being up in a tree?"

Fiyero laughed. "Ok, I've admitted that was a bad move on my part," he agreed. "But you'll like this one, I promise."

Elphaba's confusion didn't lessen when Fiyero led her to his own suite of rooms.

"Fiyero," she said warily. "What exactly-"

But her words died in her throat as Fiyero opened the door and she saw the blanket and food laid out on the floor.

"A picnic?" she asked, stepping inside.

"Very observant," Fiyero teased, shutting the door behind them. "Here, sit."

Elphaba did so, still puzzled. "I'm confusified. How does this help-"

"Easy. We sit, we eat, we talk."

Fiyero shrugged, as he sat himself down beside her. "I figured the best way to get used to talking about everything instead of writing about everything is to just do it. And I thought it would be easier not having to worry about an audience. So, if we have to sit here for two, or three or ten hours, I will," he grinned.

Elphaba laughed. "I'm rather impressed," she admitted.

"Thank you."

He reached over and handed her a plate of food. "Now eat, and talk."

She raised an eyebrow. "Talk about what exactly?"

Fiyero shrugged again. "Well, let's start at the beginning."

"A very good place to start," Elphaba said teasingly.

At first he had to prod her, asking questions about her childhood and about her parents. Even if it was things he already knew, he asked them anyway and listened to them. And he was right, Elphaba discovered. Eventually, she relaxed and the words flew better without him needing to prompt her. Fiyero was much more readily to talk, but even he knew it would take time before their conversations were as deep as their letters.

"So, a good first date?" Fiyero asked her a few hours later, as the conversation paused.

Elphaba laughed. "Well, it's not like I have a lot to compare it to, but I thought so."

They were sitting side by side on the floor, leaning against the couch, but Elphaba was leaning sideways into Fiyero's side, and he had an arm wrapped around her shoulders as her head rested on his shoulder.

"I'm kind of glad," Fiyero said.

She looked up at him in confusion. "That I thought this was a good first date?"

Fiyero chuckled. "Well, that," he agreed. "And that you don't have a lot to compare it to."

"Why?"

He smiled. "Because I'm not very good at sharing," he said softly, kissing her. "I just wish I could say the same," he murmured.

Elphaba couldn't stop herself from lowering her eyes at the reminder that Fiyero was far from inexperienced when it came to girls.

"Fiyero-"

"No, Fae," he interrupted. "Let me say this."

He took Elphaba's hand, rubbing a thumb gently over her knuckles, and choosing to look at her hand rather than her face as he spoke.

"I was an idiot before I met you," he said finally, not sure how else to say it. "Well... sort of after too... I don't even know where we're counting from," he admitted laughingly. "My point is, there- there have been other girls," he said reluctantly. He didn't love admitting it, but he wanted to be honest. And he figured Elphaba would have guessed that anyway, she wasn't dumb.

"And I regret it. All of it. Because I love you. You're the first... you're the only girl I've ever loved. And I want to make sure that you know that. That no matter what, I love you and there's never going to be anyone else for me ever again."

He was looking directly into her eyes as he said that last bit, wanting her to see how much he meant it, hoping he could convey the truth to her.

Elphaba smiled shyly, blushing at his words. "I love you too," she replied simply. She wanted to tell him she didn't care about his past relationships, although that would be a lie, but she knew he meant what he was saying.

Just to know that he loved her was more than enough for her.

Fiyero kissed her once more and Elphaba sank into his embrace for a moment, before pulling away reluctantly.

"I should go before it gets too late," she sighed, not really wanting to go.

But Fiyero didn't push her to stay, simply smiled and nodded.

"OK. I'll walk you back."

She gave him an exasperated look and Fiyero just laughed. "Or not."

"I'm perfectly capable of walking five hundred metres down the road," she informed him.

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "I know that, Elphaba. It's called being a gentleman."

"Well, I'm not exactly a lady, so don't worry about it," she retorted with a grin.

"Why do I get the feeling this will be a common argument of ours?" Fiyero wondered aloud as he rose and helped her to her feet.

"Because you won't learn," Elphaba smirked.

At the door, Fiyero dipped his head and kissed her gently. "Goodnight, Fae."

"Goodnight," she replied softly and left the room.

Left alone, Fiyero tidied up the mess they'd made and then collapsed on the couch with a contented sigh. It was only nine-thirty, and he wasn't ready for sleep yet. He reached across to the side table next to him and picked up the letter from his parents that had arrived that day.

Skimming it, Fiyero smiled when his mother mentioned Elphaba, telling him to invite her for the holidays. It was fair to say Ibrahim and Kasmira were quite curious about Miss Elphaba Thropp. It wasn't everyday that their son came home from school- without having been expelled, and told them that he had a girlfriend.

Just the fact he had told them about her outright proved that it was serious, Fiyero hadn't mentioned a girl to them since he was six and had told them he and Laima Howlett had gotten "married" at school that day during recess time. It had lasted three days before she left him for Haym Slee, although Fiyero really hadn't cared, if he was honest.

They had been eating dinner Fiyero's first night home, with his parents making teasing comments about him actually lasting a semester at Shiz, with decent grades and no threats of expulsion.

"_What does Shiz have that's able to get you to settle down?" Kasmira asked with a smile. _

_Fiyero had fidgeted uncomfortably and Ibrahim had picked it up in a moment._

"_Or rather _who_ does it have?"_

_Kasmira turned with wide eyes to her son. "Yero?"_

_Fiyero looked between his parents, clearing his throat. "There's a girl," Fiyero confirmed reluctantly._

_His parents exchanged a glance, both hiding smiles._

"_Well?" his father pressed. "Who is she?"_

"_Elphaba. Elphaba Thropp," he replied unable to stop a smile of his own._

"_How long have you known her?" Kasmira asked eagerly._

_Fiyero racked his brain thoughtfully. "Like nine months?"_

_Ibrahim frowned. "You've only been at Shiz for a semester, Fiyero."_

It had all come out then, about the pen pal program that led to his budding friendship with "Fae", the fake names, the rather rocky start he and Elphaba had had when they actually met at Shiz; and yes, the fact that his girlfriend was green.

His parents had heard the rumours, given that Elphaba's father _was _the Governor of Munchkinland, but had never believed them to be true, instead supposing them idle gossip.

And his parents' reaction had been amusing to say the least when Kasmira had asked how long they had been a couple for, and Fiyero had replied with "like two days."

Throughout the summer, Fiyero had told his parents a lot about Elphaba, and he knew she would be mortified if she knew just how much he had talked her up to his parents. But Fiyero was confident his parents would love her, and couldn't wait until they had the chance to meet. He hadn't told them everything about her or their relationship, but he had told them enough for them to know that this was serious. Hence, the holiday invitation.

Fiyero wrote a quick reply to his mother, promising that he would pass on the invitation, but warned her it would depend on her sister's plans and their father's approval. He knew as much as Elphaba would like to attend and would insist she didn't need to ask her father's permission, she would for Nessa's sake.

That weekend, Fiyero insisted they do nothing. No study, no homework.

"Let's just enjoy the sunshine and warm weather while it's still here," he insisted. "It'll start getting cold soon."

Galinda had been all for this plan, but Elphaba was less convinced.

"It's the first week back, you can't be behind yet, even if you _are_ taking a thousand classes," Fiyero teased her and Elphaba had laughingly relented.

It wasn't quite a thousand, but Elphaba _was _taking more classes than anyone in their group- also a number known as six. She was still aiming for her goal of achieving a double major and a minor, which Fiyero still thought was insane- but affectionately so.

She was reasonably sure she was going to go with a double major in Law and Sorcery with a minor in Political Science. She had debated between History or Political Science for her minor, even briefly considering both, before Fiyero had told her flatly that it was too much work and he had no desire to watch her work herself to death. So she had chosen Political Science, feeling that History just wasn't the same anymore since Dr Dillamond had been fired. In addition to her Law, Political Science and Sorcery classes, she was also doing Literature, Philosophy and Life Sciences.

Nessa seemed proud of her sister whenever the question came up, and her theory was that Elphaba knew how much work she could realistically handle. Boq was slightly in awe of her workload, and Galinda just couldn't see how Elphaba would find any time to have a social life. Fiyero was somewhere in the middle. He was definishly proud of Elphaba and had complete faith that if anyone could cope with the workload, it would be her. But he was also in agreement with Galinda, about Elphaba needing time to not study.

Elphaba always insisted to anyone who asked that she got through and kept up with everything through one simple strategy- being organised. She kept a clear outline with her classes and study sessions timetabled carefully. But she was surprised when Fiyero took her schedule from her over lunch on Saturday as she was colour coding it, picked up a pen and promptly began to block out certain sections.

"Fiyero, what _are _you doing?" she demanded, craning over his shoulder.

"Scheduling you fun time," he responded.

Elphaba was taken aback. "What?"

"I'm making time in your week that is not to be used for study. That time is for dates or hanging out with Glin, or Nessa, or us as a group."

He finished and handed it back to Elphaba, who looked at it closely. He'd marked out Friday nights, Saturdays from eleven and Sunday mornings until noon.

"See, I left some time in the weekend to study," he pointed out. "But you've got this massive workload and I'm sure if you could, you'd spend every free minute studying."

Elphaba couldn't help but smile as she looked at what Fiyero had done.

"How about I give you all of Sundays?" she offered in return and Fiyero grinned and kissed her.

"Deal."

The other thing worth noting was how the campus had reacted to what was in their minds, the sudden revelation that Fiyero Tiggular was dating Elphaba Thropp. Because they of course, remained ignorant to the fact that either party had enrolled in the pen pal program between Shiz and the CEC, and due to the tight time span that their actual relationship had begun in; the students and staff were clueless and just knew that they had returned after the summer to find Elphaba and Fiyero rather abruptly in a relationship.

Some, those who knew Elphaba's skill at Sorcery, whispered that perhaps the budding sorceress had cast a spell over Fiyero. Others spoke of it being part of a bet or a dare. But as time went on and even those girls who steadfastly refused to accept that Fiyero Tiggular would date 'the Artichoke' were forced to accept that it seemed genuine; the story began to spread that the two had been conducting a steamy affair for months- even when Fiyero had been dating Galinda.

Galinda found this story much funnier than either Elphaba or Fiyero did.

"Well, it's kind of true, isn't it?" she said pointedly when Elphaba was bemoaning the rumours as they were in their room one night. Not that she wasn't used to being talked about, but she still found it exasperating.

"Galinda!" Elphaba cried in horror, gaping at her roommate.

"It is! Ok, it wasn't _romantic, _but you still had that connection that no one knew about."

Elphaba hesitated. "Yeah... I guess so," she said uncertainly.

"He invited me to the Vinkus for Lurlinemas," she said suddenly, changing the subject.

Galinda's eyes widened. _"Really? _Elphie, that's _huge!"_

"Well, it was technically his mother," Elphaba corrected herself.

"That's even more huge!" Galinda exclaimed, bouncing down to sit on Elphaba's bed beside her. "You're going, right?"

Elphaba chuckled. "I said I'd consider it."

Galinda frowned. "What in Oz's name is there to consider?" she demanded. "Honestly, the two of you..."

"What two of us? What do you mean?" Elphaba laughed.

Galinda was evidently flustered. "You and your 'considering' and Fiyero and his 'projects'... I don't see how you two get anything done. You both over think things _way_ too much."

Elphaba smiled and shook her head. "It depends on a few things whether I can go or not. Nessa, for one thing. And well... Lurlinemas is still three months away. Anything could happen between now and then."

Galinda stared at her friend in horror. "Wait, you haven't accepted his parents' invitation for the holidays because... you think you might _break up?!"_

"I'm saying nothing's guaranteed!" Elphaba defended herself.

Galinda actually reached over and actually slapped Elphaba on the leg. "_Elphaba Thropp!_ It's guaranteed that he loves you! And that you love him. And I know _both_ of these things for a fact, so don't sit there and talk to me of breaking up. Because it is _not _going to happen! Now forget Nessa and everything else. You are _going_ to the Vinkus for Lurlinemas, understood?"

A smile spread over Elphaba's face and she nodded wordlessly.

"Thanks, Glin," she said finally, leaning over to hug her friend. "Did you have to hit me so _hard_?" she added in complaint.

"Yes," Galinda replied with a laugh.


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. This chapter was delayed for a few hours due to spiders. Meaning that there was one in my dining room when I got up this morning, so that was my focus before leaving for work. Ugh. For you non-Australians, google "huntsman spiders" and you'll understand why I freaked. My fellow Aussies will get it!**

**Chapter Four**

One morning in October, Galinda was mysteriously absent when Elphaba awoke that morning. Elphaba thought that was odd, but didn't give the matter too much thought as she got herself ready for the day and headed down to the cafeteria to meet the others for breakfast.

Boq was already there, happily munching on a piece of toast.

"Morning," he greeted her.

"Morning," she replied quietly, immediately reaching for a mug and the coffeepot that sat on each table.

Nessa arrived a few minutes later, and Fiyero stumbled in a few minutes after that, awake enough to kiss Elphaba and take the coffee mug she handed him and that was about it. Fiyero wasn't much of a morning person.

"Where's Galinda?" Nessa asked eventually, noticing the blonde hadn't arrived yet.

"Bad hair day?" Fiyero joked, although the delivery was somewhat let down by his sleepy mumble.

Elphaba shrugged in response to her sister's question. "I don't know actually. She was gone when I woke up."

"Is there a shoe sale we didn't know about starting today?" Fiyero asked.

Elphaba grinned. "Not that I know about."

They waited all through breakfast for Galinda to arrive. Boq and Nessa had to leave for class eventually, and Elphaba knew Galinda had a class that morning too. She and Fiyero had the morning off and were about to leave when Galinda entered the cafeteria, carrying a large gift wrapped box.

"What cha got there, Glin?" Fiyero asked.

"Where have you been all morning?" Elphaba asked at the same time.

Galinda ignored them both. "Happy anniversary!"

She was met with bewildered stares from both Elphaba and Fiyero.

"What anniversary?" Elphaba asked, looking to Fiyero in alarm in case she'd forgotten something.

But he looked as confusified as she did.

"October eighth..." Fiyero spoke the date aloud as though helping it would trigger a memory. "We started dating at the end of June and we hadn't met October last year... I'm confusified. Care to explain, Glin?"

Galinda was not impressed. "_Honestly_," she tutted, sitting down opposite them.

"Don't you have a class?" Elphaba asked, but was ignored.

"Elphie, it's been a year today since you started writing to each other! It was a year today that you wrote to Fiyero for the first time... without knowing it was Fiyero, of course, but _you _know that."

Elphaba gaped at her best friend. "I _do _know that. I don't remember the date however, and I don't know how _you _know the date when we weren't even friends then. Not to mention that you couldn't have even seen that letter, because I don't have it."

She turned to Fiyero, who held his hands up defensively. "I didn't tell her. I had no clue either."

Galinda gave in under the scrutinising stares of both Elphaba and Fiyero.

"I may have borrowed them," she admitted and the couple both let out furious exclamations.

"I_ had _to! And I didn't read them, I just looked at the first date. You both keep every letter in order. Fiyero, yours were easy to find, but Elphie I had to look _everywhere _for yours."

Elphaba's eyes were narrowed. "Imagine that, having to look everywhere to find _hidden letters. _Galinda, what did you do?"

Galinda pushed the box across the table. "I made you a present."

Warily, Elphaba opened the box, surprised to discoverate it was quite heavy. Inside were several thick scrapbooks.

Cautiously, Elphaba lifted the top one out and opened it, Fiyero looking over her shoulder. And then Elphaba drew in her breath softly as she realised what Galinda had done. Galinda had taken all of the letters Elphaba and Fiyero had written to one another and organised them in the scrapbooks in chronological order of the date they were written.

"I honestly didn't read them," Galinda reassured them. "I tried _really _hard to see as little as possible. But I thought... these letters are your love story. And I thought they should be preserved."

"That's a really good idea, Galinda," Fiyero said honestly. "How did you even get in my room to get the letters?" he asked her, the question suddenly occurred to him.

Galinda waved a dismissive hand. "Do you have any idea how easy the locks are to pick in your building?"

Fiyero was actually a little scared at that, and he and Elphaba exchanged slightly scared glances as Galinda continued talking.

"I know you two haven't decided where you're counting from," Galinda added. "But I think your best choices are either from the day you met in June or this day. This is where everything began when you think about it."

Elphaba still hadn't said anything, she was still silently looking through the first scrapbook. It was so strange seeing her words alongside Fiyero's with the different signatures down the bottom; looking at words in her own hand, half of which she didn't recall ever writing.

"You really kept _all_ my letters?" she asked Fiyero softly, looking at him finally.

He looked at her tenderly. "Of course I did, Fae."

Galinda smiled. "It took me ages to do, I didn't put the finishing touches on the last one until this morning, that's why I was up so early," she explained. "Of course, it would have gone a bit faster if you two didn't write so damn much! Honestly, I think there's a letter of yours in there, Elphie, that's about twenty pages long!"

Fiyero laughed. "I remember that one," he said fondly.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Glin," she said sincerely, and Galinda knew all was forgiven.

"You're welcome. Happy anniversary. Oh my Oz, I'm late for class!" she exclaimed as she caught wind of the time and leapt out of her seat, hurrying out of the cafeteria.

Elphaba couldn't help but laugh at her friend.

"So, apparently," Fiyero said to her, drawing her attention back to him. "It's our anniversary."

Elphaba blushed slightly. "Apparently so. What do you think?"

"I think I like the idea of having two," Fiyero said honestly. "One in October, one in June. I know it sounds crazy, but I think we should... commemorate when this all started. What do you think?"

"I agree that we should commemorate. I don't know if we need _two _anniversaries," Elphaba nodded. Then she sighed. "I can't believe it was a year ago."

"Well, we can just try it? See how it goes?" he suggested and she agreed.

Fiyero leaned over and kissed her and then stood up. "Come on."

"What are we doing?" she asked, as he grabbed the box of scrapbooks.

"Commemorating," he grinned and led her from the room.

He took her to 'their' tree, the one that they'd met under in June, and they spent the morning sitting together in each other's arms, leaning against the trunk and reading back through all the letters that had founded their relationship.

Sometimes one would give commentary on something they had written or ask a question, but it was the most peaceful anniversary Elphaba could have imagined.

"I still can't believe you kept them," she said to Fiyero.

"Why?" Fiyero asked softly, planting a soft kiss in her hair.

Elphaba gave a tiny shrug in response. "I don't know, I guess... you never really think of guys being sentimental. There's times I'm still in shock you actually wrote back."

"When someone tells you that you may be a potential axe murderer, it grabs your attention," he teased her and she laughed.

"Where should we keep this? Somewhere safe. Galinda put so much work into this."

"Better keep it in your room then," Fiyero chuckled. "My room isn't exactly the neatest."

Elphaba agreed with that. "I might go put it away now before lunch then."

"I'll come too."

He watched as Elphaba carefully placed the scrapbooks on her bookshelf, and then pulled her to sit on the bed next to him.

"So any idea how you festivate a one-year anniversary?"

Elphaba snorted with laughter. "You're asking _me?"_

"Well, I thought maybe you've read something," Fiyero protested. "Or maybe Galinda..."

"I don't think Galinda's track record with relationships is much better than yours. Let's just face it, we know absolutely no one in a steady long-term relationship."

Fiyero thought about that and realised it was true. "I guess. In a way I'm not surprised."

"Besides, I don't think there's rules on how to festivate an anniversary. If we have to festivate, we can probably do anything we like."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'if we have to'?"

Elphaba opened her mouth, but was cut off as he kissed her.

"I think if there's any rule about festivating on an anniversary, this is number one," he murmured between kisses.

"Although I wish there was cake."

Elphaba laughed as he deepened the kiss which she returned willingly.

"I changed my mind. This is much better than cake."

"Will you shut up about cake?" Elphaba muttered as he moved his lips down to her neck, pushing her hair back.

"How about we both shut up?" he responded and reclaimed her mouth, drawing her to him even closer.

Elphaba lost herself in the moment, pressing herself up against him. But when Fiyero lay them back against her pillows, she broke the kiss, breathing heavily.

"Wait. Yero."

Fiyero pulled away and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"I'm sorry-"

She shook her head. "No. It's just..."

Elphaba sat up and let out a deep breath, not wanting him to feel like he'd done something wrong or made her feel uncomfortable.

"This is all still new to me," she explained gently. "I mean, there's times where as something as simple as kissing you or holding hands is a big deal, because... I never got any kind of affection growing up. It's just going to take time."

Fiyero was still looking guilty so she added with a small smile, "And practice."

His eyes lit up. "Well, I can help with that," he said eagerly and drew her back to him, kissing her gently.

Elphaba chuckled. "I was counting on that," she smiled softly and that was the end of the discussion.

When she met her sister in their Political Sciences class after lunch, Nessa greeted her with a smile.

"I hear it's your anniversary today."

Elphaba chuckled. "Galinda told you?"

"Of course."

"Typical," Fiyero said fondly.

"We were thinking we should take the two of you out to dinner tonight to festivate, but I wasn't sure if you'd want to be alone," Nessa continued.

Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged a glance before Fiyero replied.

"That's a really nice idea, Nessa. We'd love that."

Elphaba nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Nessa."

"Well, Boq and I felt bad we hadn't gotten you anything. Galinda told us about the scrapbooks she made."

"It's not that big of a deal," Elphaba protested. "Really, don't feel bad. Fiyero and I didn't even know, so it can't be _that _important."

At the end of the class before they parted ways, Nessa relayed the plan to Elphaba and Fiyero.

"We're going to meet outside the library at six. OK?"

Fiyero checked the time, and saw that it was almost four o'clock, which gave him two hours to work on the idea that had shaped in his head during class (the lecture had been really boring), and get ready.

"Sounds good. I'll see you ladies then," he said, and with a quick kiss to Elphaba, he trotted off.

Elphaba stared after him suspiciously. "He's up to something."

Nessa laughed. "He probably wants to get you a present or something."

Elphaba made a face. "He'd better not be. It's unnecessary. Do you have somewhere to be, or do you want to come up and hang out in my dorm until dinner?"

Nessa beamed. "That sounds like fun."

Galinda was in the room when they entered, fussing before her vanity.

"Elphie, did Nessa tell you- oh, _hi_ Nessa! Did you tell them about dinner?"

"Yes, they agreed. Fiyero thought it was a great idea," Nessa replied.

Elphaba tossed her book bag on her bed and sat down with a sigh. "You don't have to, but I appreciate the gesture."

Nessa rolled her eyes. "Elphaba, you _always_ say that about any form of gift. You won't even let me get you a birthday card."

Galinda turned from her mirror with a frown. "When _is _your birthday, Elphie?"

Elphaba waved a dismissive hand. "It's come and gone, Glin. Don't worry about it."

Galinda looked horrified. "You've had your birthday? _When? _Over the summer?"

Nessa looked puzzled. "It was last week," she said, not noticing her sister flinch. "I thought you knew."

Galinda gaped. _"No! _Last week? You're kidding me, right? _Please _tell me you're joking!" she begged.

Nessa turned to her sister with a glare. "You told me that they knew and were respecting your wishes for no fuss!"

"They _were _respecting my wishes, because they didn't know," Elphaba retorted.

Galinda spluttered. "Wait, _they? _Fiyero doesn't even know?"

"No," Elphaba admitted reluctantly. "Galinda, I don't celebrate my birthday, ok? I never have. It's a non-event."

Galinda jumped to her feet furiously, hands on hips. "Elphaba, non-event or not, your _date of birth_ is something your best friend and boyfriend should know!"

"Well, now you know," Elphaba shrugged.

"How does _Fiyero_ not know?" Nessa questioned.

"He asked once, in a letter over the summer," Elphaba confessed. "I just didn't reply to that bit. And he asked on our first date, but I... changed the subject."

Galinda was still glaring at her and Elphaba sighed.

"Galinda, seriously. I don't care about my birthday. It's just another day that makes me a year older. I didn't mention it because it doesn't mean anything. I didn't even know when my birthday _was_ until I was four."

Elphaba hadn't thought Galinda's eyes could be wider, but she was proved wrong.

"How?" she gasped.

Elphaba shrugged again. "My father enrolled me for pre-school and the Headmaster asked my date of birth. I was in the room and my father replied October fourth. I didn't realise a birthday was supposed to be a _thing_ until Nessa turned one the next May and my father threw her a party."

"And you didn't think to question why _you_ never got a party?" Galinda asked.

"Why would I have a party? I had no friends," Elphaba pointed out.

"Elphaba," Nessa admonished her sister softly.

Elphaba sighed. "I asked once," she admitted. "When I turned five, I think. Maybe six. There was no present, no cake, nothing. Eventually, I actually asked my father if that day _was _my birthday, thinking maybe I had the date wrong or something. He told me it was, and that was the end of it."

Under Galinda's sympathetic gaze, Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"_Don't_ look at me like that, Galinda. You don't need to feel sorry for me. My father's always pretty much ignored me. I'm green, remember?"

"He doesn't _ignore _you," Nessa defended their father.

Elphaba sighed. "Well, acted indifferently then. He's never seen my birth as something worth celebrating or remembering. Is that more accurate, Nessa?"

"Yes," Nessa admitted.

Galinda stared at them for another moment, before grabbing her purse and storming towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Elphaba called after her.

"To get you an Ozdamn birthday cake," Galinda snapped back, slamming the door behind her as she left.

Nessa sighed. "Well, that went well."

"I didn't not tell them on purpose!" Elphaba defended herself. "Last year, Galinda and I weren't even friends!"

"Well, why didn't you tell Fiyero when he asked?" Nessa asked.

Elphaba sighed. "Because I know he'd make a fuss, even if I asked him not too. Just as Galinda is."

Nessa laughed lightly. "A birthday cake hardly constitutes as a 'fuss', Fabala."

Then she paused. "I think it'll be good for you. It's a few days late, but that doesn't matter. I've never really questioned it... maybe I should have."

Elphaba sighed, seeing the glimpse of guilt on her sister's face. "Nessa, don't. I could have celebrated my birthday if I wanted to, once I was old enough," she pointed out. "It's never bothered me."

"Please don't go into a rant about how birthdays have become commercialised and just a way for people to gain material goods they don't need; more so than an actual achievement of reaching another year in life," Nessa laughed, having heard that one before.

Elphaba grinned despite herself. "Fine, I won't. But if this was Galinda's reaction, I can only imagine how Fiyero's going to react."

Nessa could only agree.

When the group met, Galinda made no mention of Elphaba's birthday. Instead they decided what restaurant they would go to for dinner, and they had been seated, had drinks brought and ordered before Galinda mentioned it.

"So, Fiyero, when's your birthday?" she asked casually and Elphaba groaned.

Fiyero gave Elphaba a confused glance before he answered Galinda. "December twenty-eighth. You're in July, right?"

"Yes," Galinda nodded. "When's Elphie's?" she asked innocently.

Elphaba kicked her friend under the table, but Galinda ignored her.

Fiyero opened his mouth and then stopped. "Er... huh," he frowned. "I...don't remember."

He looked apologetically at Elphaba. "Sorry, Fae."

She rolled her eyes. "You didn't forget, I've never told you," she said bluntly.

"So, when is it?" Boq asked curiously.

Elphaba sighed heavily and glared at Galinda. "October fourth."

Fiyero dropped his cutlery with a yelp. "_What?!"_

She turned to him. "Listen to me, because I'm only going to say this once. I don't celebrate my birthday. It means nothing to me. I didn't tell you, because I knew you'd make a big deal out of it- like Galinda's doing. So, please just drop it?"

Fiyero stared at her for a long moment, wrestling between wanting to comply with her wishes and wanting to know more.

"I won't push you, but we _will _be talking about this later," he said sternly.

Elphaba accepted that, she knew she'd just tell him the same thing she'd told Galinda.

"Fine," she agreed.

Galinda wasn't happy with how that had turned out, she had kind of hoped Fiyero would be more on her side and insist on a celebration.

"We're still having birthday cake," she informed Elphaba, leaving no room for argument.

"I hope it's chocolate," Fiyero replied with a grin.

That led to a debate between the two boys about which was the best flavour cake, and the moment passed, much to Elphaba's relief.

Galinda had thankfully, in Elphaba's mind, decided against having a cake bought out with a round of "Happy Birthday". Instead, due to the lack of notice, as she made sure to inform Elphaba, each person received a chocolate iced large cupcake, each with an 'E' written on top in green piping. Elphaba's had a sole candle on top, which she reluctantly blew out at the pleading of the others.

"This isn't technically a cake, so you can't get mad," Galinda pointed out. "But _next_ year," she added warningly.

Elphaba just laughed and shook her head.

"You wanted cake," she said to Fiyero, who grinned.

"Who said dreams can't come true?"

As they ate their dessert, the conversation changed to what the original intention of the dinner actually was- Elphaba and Fiyero's anniversary.

"Do you think you two would have ended up together if you hadn't been writing to one another?" Boq asked, unaware this was a common discussion between Galinda and Nessarose.

"Yes," the two girls replied in unison.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and shared a look with Fiyero.

"I don't know," she replied slowly. "We didn't exactly get off to the best start."

Fiyero grinned. "What, with my carriage almost knocking you over or you waking me up to yell at me?" he asked.

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

Their lesson learned by now, the others let Elphaba and Fiyero walk back to school on their own after they finished at the restaurant.

"You know, lest we find you two making out in an alleyway somewhere," Boq teased, making Elphaba blush.

Walking hand in hand, Fiyero gently pulled her to a stop as they passed an empty playground on their return.

"I think we would have."

"Would have what?" Elphaba asked blankly.

"I think we'd be together if we hadn't been writing to one another," Fiyero clarified.

Elphaba looked up at him. "What makes you so sure?"

"The Lion cub," he replied simply.

Elphaba nodded. "Ah. You mean that thing that happened at the time when you were still dating Galinda?"

Fiyero grimaced. "OK, so that may have gotten messy," he admitted.

Elphaba snorted. "_May _have?"

He rolled his eyes. "Fae, you're missing my point."

"Besides the fact that you highly underestimate Galinda and how emotionally invested _she _was in your relationship? Sorry, what's your point?" she asked sweetly.

He turned to face her solemnly. "My point is, that day changed everything for me. And regardless of any letter, it still would have. Because that day, in that moment, you saw me as no one ever had before. I'm pretty sure that no matter what, I still would have fallen in love with you that day."

Elphaba thought back to that day, that moment in the clearing and the anguished letter she'd written to 'Dathien' afterwards.

"Me too," she admitted quietly.

"So talk to me about your birthday," Fiyero urged.

Elphaba sighed and sank down onto a swing. Then she told Fiyero everything she had told Galinda earlier that afternoon. Fiyero was quiet as she spoke, and only asked a few questions here and there. Finally, when she had finished, he broke the silence.

"Any other rudimentary facts I should know about that you neglected to tell me?"

Elphaba laughed. "I don't think so."

Fiyero came around and crouched down in front of her. "You should have told me."

"I didn't think it was that big of a deal," Elphaba said honestly. "It's just the day I was born."

"Exactly," Fiyero replied. "It's the day you were born, and without you, I don't know where I'd be. So, that, my sweet Fae, is a day I want to celebrate."

He leaned forward and kissed her deeply, and Elphaba smiled gently against his lips.

"Oh and I should warn you," he murmured, pulling away with a grin. "I celebrate _my _birthday."

"I'm shocked," Elphaba deadpanned, and kissed him again.

Fiyero laughed, and then pulled her up from the swing so they could continue walking.

Elphaba looked up at him with a thoughtful frown. "I don't remember a letter about your birthday last year."

Fiyero winked. "Some things are not meant for a lady's ear," he replied and Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"How considerate of you," she said sarcastically. "And considering we were writing, wouldn't you mean 'eyes'?"

"Are you just going to nitpick over _everything_ I ever say?" Fiyero complained.

"Probably," she grinned.

Fiyero pulled her close to him as they walked. "I got you something for our anniversary."

Elphaba sighed. "Figures. What is it?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope. Elphaba stopped in her tracks as he handed it to her

"You wrote me a letter?"

He shrugged. "Well, I didn't have time to actually buy you anything, and I figured you'd protest against that anyway-"

He was cut off as she reached up and kissed him.

"I would rather this than any gift," she said softly, her eyes shining.

Fiyero grinned. "Good."

When they had finally said goodnight, Elphaba entered their room. She could hear water running and knew Galinda was in the bathroom. Taking advantage of the privacy before her roommate returned, Elphaba hastily changed and slipped into bed, opening the letter Fiyero had given her.

"_Dear Fae,_

_Once you told me what it was that led you to write the letter that started everything. Now, a year later, I'm trying to imagine you actually writing that letter. Knowing you as I do now, I know it must have been a really crappy day, because you are the strongest person I know._

_I believe, as you so eloquently put it, it had something to do with Nessa wanting nothing to do with you and Galinda being a bitch. And I thank Oz every day that those things happened, and that I got busted not paying attention during an enormously boring assembly and forced to sign up for some stupid pen pal program. Because it brought me you._

_I love you, Fae. I don't think I could even tell you what I was doing on this day a year ago, and now I laugh at this poor idiot who had no idea how much his life was about to change. _

_Obviously, I'm only writing this today because I had no idea this anniversary existed, let alone was able to plan for it, and that's why this letter is reasonably short. But I was thinking in our lecture today (yes, I know, I should have been paying attention, for exams and my future and blah blah, etc. Can you blame me that I'd rather think about you than... whatever it was today's lecture was on? I think it was... I want to say trade?)._

_Anyway, I was thinking about what Galinda said. How these letters are our love story, and they should be preserved. And I think she has a point. These are things that... I feel like the right and clichéd answer here is to say "can be passed down to our children and grandchildren and..." well, you get the point. And I'm not saying that isn't true, it's just... well, I'm pretty sure my mom has letters my dad wrote her while they were courting (that's the term she always uses. "Courting". Not "dating". I think one time she actually said "wooing" and I almost threw up. I can handle courting) and I can honestly say the thought of reading them makes me __highly__ uncomfortable._

_But I like the idea that in ten, twenty, fifty years from now, we can read these back. So in ten, twenty, fifty years from now, remember that I love you. That you are beautiful, brilliant, passionate and that knowing you has changed my life and me forever. _

_I love you Fae. Happy anniversary._

_Love, Yero."_

Elphaba was glad she was alone so she didn't have to explain to Galinda why she was smiling like an idiot. She hastily reached up to wipe away the few years that had spilled as she read, then reached into the drawer of her nightstand to grab pen and paper.

"_Dear Yero,_

_Today's lecture was on tax reform. And I never said Galinda was being a bitch, don't put words in my mouth._

_I love you. More than anything. _

_Happy anniversary._

_Fae."_

**AN. So, um yeah... this chapter came about mostly because I realised that in _You've Got Mail_ I made no mention of birthday's... which was kind of an issue in this story. So I had to come up with an explanation for that. It's a little rough, but just go with it, ok? I had no plans of doing a sequel when I wrote the original fic.**


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. For everyone who asked about the spider, it is gone. I had to ring my neighbour to come get rid of it. **

**Chapter Five**

"Elphie! Did you hear the news? Isn't it _exciting_?!"

Elphaba looked up from her assignment she was working on in bewilderment as Galinda dashed into their dorm room, all a flurry of excitement.

"Galinda, what _are _you talking about?" she asked patiently.

"You haven't heard?" Galinda demanded incredulously.

"I've been in here working all afternoon!" Elphaba defended herself. "Now, what's happened?"

Galinda threw herself down on her bed with a deep breath. "It's all over campus. There's going to be a visit to the CEC for those in the pen pal program at the end of the month! Morrible's going to make the official announcement tonight in the cafeteria during dinner time! Elphie, _we're going to the Emerald City!"_

Elphaba's face lit up involuntarily, and then she sighed in disappointment. "I don't think I can go."

"Why not? You're in the program, aren't you?"

"Yes, but my pen pal is _here,_" Elphaba reminded her.

Galinda frowned. "But the school doesn't know that. You could still go."

Elphaba blushed. "I wouldn't want to go without Fiyero," she admitted, and Galinda beamed.

"That is so _sweet! _Well, surely if you explain the situation to Madame Morrible, she'll let you both go. She likes you, you're her star pupil, remember?"

Elphaba laughed. "I suppose... although I don't know how fond the Headmaster of the CEC is of Fiyero."

Galinda considered that for a moment. "Well, there is that," she acknowledged.

When the topic was raised again when the group met in the cafeteria, Fiyero grimaced.

"Yeah, I don't think the Headmaster is my biggest fan..."

"Why did you get expelled from there again?" Boq asked him.

Fiyero cleared his throat. "Well, someone used my sheets to transform the statue of the Wizard on campus into... a dragon. Well, it kind of looked like a dragon."

"Someone?" Nessa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I don't exactly remember doing it, so I'm not going to admit it," Fiyero replied.

"But they were your sheets?" Galinda questioned.

"Yes," Fiyero confirmed.

None of them looked very convinced of Fiyero's innocence in the matter.

"OK, this isn't the point," he said in exasperation. "The point is whether we can make this trip work. Maybe Morrible doesn't know why I left the CEC?" he asked hopefully.

"That's doubtful," Elphaba said practically.

"But you have changed a lot since you've been at Shiz," Nessa surprisingly rose to Fiyero's defence. "I bet your grades and attendance have changed dramatically. That could help."

Fiyero knew that was true, and hoped that combined with Elphaba's influence would help Madame Morrible agree.

"You have to come with me," Elphaba told him, and Fiyero made a face.

He tried to avoid as much interaction with the Headshizstress as possible. "Why?"

"So that when I go and tell her how mature and responsible you are now, you're there to help demonstrate that," she replied.

Fiyero was still reluctant, but he knew how much Elphaba wanted to visit the Emerald City. Besides, he wouldn't mind seeing Lau again and getting his former roommate to meet Elphaba, considering how much he had done for them.

"OK," he agreed finally.

As Galinda had said, Madame Morrible made the official announcement over dinner, stating that the visit would take place at the end of October in festivation for the long weekend that commemorated the Wizard's reign over Oz. It was usually a public holiday, but because October 30 fell on a Saturday that year, the public holiday had been moved to the Monday after.

So once they'd finished eating, Elphaba and Fiyero bid the others goodbye and headed off to Madame Morrible's office.

"I hope to Oz she's in there," Fiyero muttered.

"Why?" Elphaba frowned.

"Because if she's not that means either A) we have to go all over campus trying to find her, and B) run the risk of finding her in her room with her face mask, nightgown and curlers."

Elphaba glared at him. "Thank you for that."

"You're welcome," he replied cheerfully, although shuddering at the mental image he himself had created.

Thankfully, Madame Morrible was indeed in her office.

"Ah, Miss Elphaba. How can I help you... and Mister Tiggular?" she added in surprise, seeing Fiyero follow her into the office.

"May we talk to you for a moment, Madame?" Elphaba asked politely.

"Of course."

Morrible gestured to the seats opposite her desk. "How can I help you two?"

"We wanted to talk to you about the CEC visit for the pen pal program. We have a rather... unique situation," Elphaba explained.

Morrible nodded carefully. "I see. You are involved with the program, Miss Elphaba?"

"Yes," Elphaba nodded. "But the thing is, my pen pal..."

"I was her pen pal, Madame," Fiyero jumped in.

Morrible looked shocked. "You?"

Fiyero wasn't surprised by her shock. "Yes, ma'am. I signed up when I was still at the CEC."

Morrible glanced between the two, knowing of their relationship, as the entire school did. "I see. Well, this does explain some things. You two have known each other for a while then?"

Neither Elphaba or Fiyero wanted to go into the whole 'fake names' thing.

"Yes," Fiyero confirmed, taking Elphaba's hand. "And you see, the thing is, that technically the visit is for all those in the program. And I don't want Elphaba to miss out on such an amazing opportunity, simply because I'm now attending here."

Morrible pursed her lips. "And I'm assuming that _you_ would like to accompany Miss Elphaba?"

Fiyero cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well, I do have a few friends there I'd like to see again," he admitted.

Morrible looked at the two of them, before abruptly standing and moving over to one of the many filing cabinets in the room. She reached into a drawer and pulled out an enormously thick file. When she brought it back to her desk, Elphaba was able to see the name on it and her jaw dropped slightly to see that it was Fiyero's file.

She looked at him and he gave her a sheepish look. They sat in silence as Morrible examined the file in silence, occasionally shooting looks at Fiyero from the corner of her eye. Fiyero had seen that look many times, from his parents, teachers, Headmasters and Elphaba's father. He knew it well. It didn't bode well.

Finally, the Headshizstress spoke again. "Well, Master Tiggular. I see that your grades have improved rather steadily since your arrival here... you did adequately in your finals... passed everything... your teachers all speak well of your behaviour and effort in class..."

"Yes, ma'am," Fiyero said, not sure what else to say.

In truth though, he was a little surprised. He had figured that Elphaba's influence would have affected his studies _this _year, but he hadn't realised her impact on him dated back so far. Yes, around the time he had realised who she was and especially since the Lion cub, he had begun attending class more- because he had shared most classes with Elphaba last semester. He just hadn't been aware of an improved effort on his part regarding his studying.

"Hmmm... well, I will review the situation and let you know by the end of the week. Thank you both for coming."

It was a clear unspoken order to leave.

"She's not going to say yes," Fiyero said, as soon as the door shut behind them.

"She can't," Elphaba replied. "She has no grounds, not after saying how much you've improved. Not unless you do something dumb this week."

"Hey!" Fiyero exclaimed in mock outrage.

"I'm not the one with a file that could pass as a paperback," she said pointedly.

"All of that... _most_ of that happened before I met you," Fiyero amended himself in mid-sentence.

Elphaba just smiled.

Nessa believed that Madame Morrible would agree, whilst Galinda and Boq agreed with Fiyero that she would refuse. Elphaba insisted that even if she did, they could protest it, because she had no grounds to refuse him on.

"Unless," she added as an afterthought. "She contacts the Headmaster of the CEC and he refuses to let you on school grounds."

"Then I'm doomed," Fiyero said glumly.

Autumn was definitely settling over Oz, with wind and rain beginning to be frequent forecasts in the weather.

"If it rains the weekend we're in the Emerald City I'll be so despondiary," Galinda sighed miserably, panting after she'd dashed into the building for her and Elphaba's Sorcery class on Wednesday afternoon to avoid getting wet.

Elphaba followed more slowly, a hooded cloak over her uniform to protect her from the rain. She didn't mind the rain, but she hated getting her head or feet wet. Galinda's concern was mostly for her hair.

"I'm sure you won't enjoy the City any less if it's raining," Elphaba smiled slightly.

"You mean 'we'," Galinda corrected, as they entered the classroom.

Morrible was already there waiting for them, so they couldn't continue their conversation.

"Oh, Miss Elphaba," she said as they were packing up at the end of class. "Your sister returned to her room just after lunch and took to her bed. She wasn't feeling well, I thought I should notify you."

Elphaba was startled, she'd seen Nessa only that morning and her sister hadn't made any indication she was feeling ill.

"Thank you, Madame," she replied graciously and hurriedly left the room with Galinda.

"I'm going to go check on Nessa," she said immediately, as Galinda knew she would. "Do you want to come or?"

Galinda smiled. "It's ok, Elphie, you go. I'll catch up with you later."

Elphaba bid her friend goodbye and hurried off to go see her sister. She found Nessa in bed, and she didn't seem surprised to see her sister.

"Hi, Nessie. Madame Morrible said you were feeling sick. Are you okay?" she asked in concern, sitting gently on the edge of the bed.

Nessa smiled at her. "I'm ok, Fabala. I think it's just a cold. Or the flu. Nothing alarming."

Elphaba frowned and pressed the back of her hand to Nessa's forehead.

"You're a little warm."

"It's nothing. Mostly just a sore throat, some tiredness and a bit of a cough," Nessa reassured her, following that up with a little cough as though to emphasise her point.

"I suppose all this rain hasn't been helping," Elphaba sighed.

"Not really, no. I'm sure this bug or flu or whatever it is, is about to sweep the campus. I just got in first."

"Do you want anything? I can go to your teachers and get work so you won't be left behind," she offered.

Nessa chuckled. "Madame Morrible's already organised it. Really, I have everything I need. She's even bringing me dinner."

Elphaba reluctantly rose. "Well, alright. I'll come see you tomorrow. Get plenty of rest, and keep your fluids up. Remember if you sleep on your side, it helps you cough less," she told her, fixing the covers around her sister warmly.

"Yes, Mom," Nessa answered with a faint smile, teasing her.

But they both knew that Elphaba was the closest thing to a mother Nessa had ever known, and that her sister always fussed over her more when she was sick, and that Nessa appreciated it.

Elphaba swiftly and affectionately kissed her temple.

"Rest," she ordered gently and then left the room.

Elphaba headed back to her dorm, and was surprised to find Boq and Fiyero in there with Galinda.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked.

"I'm waiting for you," Fiyero replied with a grin, kissing her lightly. "Boq is here to appreciate the honour of being in Galinda Upland's room."

Boq and Galinda both glared at him, as Elphaba chuckled.

"How's Nessa?" Galinda asked her.

"I think it's the flu," Elphaba replied. "Nothing serious. I'm sure half the campus will have it within a few weeks."

Galinda blanched and immediately hurried into the bathroom, returning with a can of disinfectant, which she began spraying in the air near Elphaba.

"Hey!" Elphaba protested, coughing as the spray irritated her throat. "Galinda, what in Oz's name are you doing?"

"I am not getting sick before the long weekend," Galinda refused. "Don't touch me until you've washed your hands after being around Nessa," she ordered her roommate.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "You're being ridiculous, Glin," she said and coughed again.

"Are you getting sick? Should I be getting a mask, or sleeping in Pfannee and Shen-Shen's room? Or Milla's?" Galinda panicked.

"You should stop spraying that stuff everywhere and open a window before I choke on this stuff," Elphaba replied.

Fiyero got up and opened the window slightly, letting the cool air in.

"Agreed. That stuff reeks, Glin."

"I don't mind it," Boq commented, and Elphaba and Fiyero both shot him a knowing glance.

They both knew the Munchkin still had a crush on Galinda, and Elphaba also knew the only thing keeping him from doing something about it-besides a fear of rejection- was the fear of Elphaba's wrath. After all, he had dated and broken her sister's heart before. So apparently in the meantime, he was dealing with his feelings by sucking up to Galinda.

Elphaba turned to Fiyero. "So, why were you waiting for me? Did we have plans?"

"Not as such, but I was going to see if you wanted to get some dinner that's not cafeteria food," Fiyero grinned.

Elphaba laughed. "Sure."

"And I wanted to see if Morrible said anything to you during your class about the Emerald City," he continued.

Elphaba shook her head. "No, nothing."

"It's only Wednesday," Boq pointed out. "Knowing Morrible, she probably won't tell you until Friday."

"Well, of course, she has to live up to her name," Fiyero said dryly. "Not-really Horrible Morrible doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it?"

Eventually, Elphaba and Fiyero left to head to dinner, debating which restaurant in town to go to for dinner.

"We could just go to _The Wilted Rose_," Elphaba suggested.

"No, let's go somewhere nicer than that," Fiyero protested.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Yero, it's just dinner on a Wednesday night, it's not a big deal. It doesn't require a five star restaurant."

"You've only let me take you out to a five star restaurant _once, _and then you tried to order only a _side salad_ because you said everything was ridiculously overpriced," he pointed out.

"Everything _was _ridiculously overpriced," Elphaba retorted. "And it wasn't five star, it was only three. I hate to imagine how much they charge in a _five _star restaurant."

Fiyero grinned and pulled her close to him as they walked. "Well, when we're in the Emerald City, I'm taking you to the best damn overpriced five star restaurant in town, and you can't say anything about it," he told her sternly.

"You don't have to do that," Elphaba said softly. "I'm sure there's better things to spend your money on, prince or no."

Fiyero dipped his head slightly and kissed her temple softly. "Nope, you're it. And I mean it, you don't have a choice."

"Which means you'll be sure to mention this plan to Galinda and Nessa who won't stop bugging me until I agree," Elphaba said knowingly.

"Yes," he grinned.

She rolled her eyes. "Morrible may not even let us go," she pointed out.

"We're going," Fiyero said confidently.

"Fiyero, not ten minutes ago you were saying it didn't look positive. What changed?" Elphaba demanded.

"Nothing _changed_," Fiyero stressed. "I just realised we don't have to go to the Emerald City as part of the CEC visit."

Elphaba looked at him as she realised what he was implying.

"Fiyero-"

"It's a long weekend," he reminded her. "What are they going to do with everyone not in the program? There'll be no classes on Monday. If Morrible says no, I'll just book a carriage and some hotel rooms and we'll go anyway. They can't stop us."

Elphaba thought about that and could see no flaws in the plan. Besides, she did really want to see the Emerald City.

"Fine," she agreed. "Now, can we pick somewhere for dinner?"

They chose a small restaurant not far from campus, that Fiyero said the food was good enough and Elphaba declared the prices reasonable enough.

"So, tell me more about the Emerald City," Elphaba urged once their food had arrived.

"Well... it's green," Fiyero replied and Elphaba just stared at him blankly.

He laughed. "What, you want more than that? Fine."

He paused for a moment, deciding what to say.

"It's very cultural. Lots of theatres, museums, libraries... it's basically like this place was made for you," he joked, but continued before Elphaba could retort.

"Lots of tall buildings... um... did I mention the green?"

"_Fiyero."_

"I don't know what else to tell you, Fae!" he laughed apologetically. "You'll just have to see for yourself."

Elphaba sighed. "Fine. What about the CEC?"

"It's small," Fiyero offered. "Heaps smaller than Shiz. Most of the students are upper-class, old wealthy families... you know the type. They're pretty strict there, they're not big on fun, apparently."

He said it with such distaste that Elphaba laughed.

"You poor baby," she teased. "So, who are you hoping to see there? Your old roommate?"

"Lau, yeah," Fiyero nodded. "He's pretty much it actually. There were a few other guys I was friends with, but Lau's the only one I've stayed in touch with since leaving."

"He must be relieved he no longer has to play messenger between us," Elphaba chuckled.

Fiyero grinned. "Well, since I told him we were dating he wishes he'd actually read some of the letters..."

Elphaba snorted. "I don't think he'd find them very exciting. What does he think we were writing about?"

"I don't know, but I can imagine," Fiyero said with a suggestive smirk, making her blush at the implication.

"He's just curious about this amazing girl I keep telling him about," he added with a gentle smile.

After dinner, Fiyero walked Elphaba back to her room, still mentally planning everything he wanted to do with Elphaba in the Emerald City. He knew she'd want to see the libraries and museums, and he thought she'd enjoy the theatre and of course, their five star romantic dinner.

"You know as soon as Galinda hears about this dinner, she's going to make me go shopping," Elphaba said to Fiyero glumly.

Fiyero laughed. "We'll make sure it's not pink," he promised her, drawing her to him for a kiss outside her door.

"It's not the pink I'm worried about, it's the three hours of my life I'll never get back," Elphaba retorted when they separated.

He just laughed again. "Night, Fae."

"Goodnight," she replied and went into the room.

Sure enough, once Fiyero "accidentally" mentioned his plan to Galinda and Nessarose, Galinda immediately began planning a shopping trip to find Elphaba the perfect outfit.

"Thank you," Elphaba said to Fiyero sarcastically.

"You're welcome," he grinned, kissing her.

Their small display of affection was enough to distract Galinda.

"Ugh, I swear, you two are so adorable I can't stand it," she said enviously.

The look on Elphaba's face at being referred to as "adorable" was almost too much for Fiyero, so he quickly turned to Nessarose.

"How are you feeling, Nessa?" he asked.

"Better, thank you," she replied. "It's just a cold, I think. Although my throat is still sore and my nose is blocked."

"Marshmallows," Fiyero replied and the others looked at him in confusion.

"They help with sore throats, trust me," he reassured them and Nessa looked surprised.

"Thank you, Fiyero. I'll have to try that."

"How do you know that?" Boq asked Fiyero.

Fiyero shrugged dismissive. "My nanny told me as a kid, because I wouldn't eat the throat lozenges."

Elphaba was more sceptical. "Are you sure that's an actual _thing_, and not something she just told you to get you to stop complaining about sore throats?"

"Yeah, like as a placebo," Galinda added.

"I swear it works!" Fiyero defended himself.

"We'll have to test this," Nessa laughed.

"Fine. I'll get some marshmallows before lunch and you can try for yourself," Fiyero promised her.

So after his morning class, Fiyero made a quick detour on his way to the cafeteria to meet the others for lunch to grab some marshmallows.

"Hope your throat is still sore," he greeted Nessa when he arrived and then paused. "Well, not that I want your throat to hurt-"

"I understand, Fiyero," Nessa chuckled. "And yes, it _is_ still sore."

"I got you some hot tea with lemon and honey," Elphaba said, arriving behind Fiyero. "Just in case," she added with a teasing smile to Fiyero, who made a face in return.

Feeling slightly awkward under the gaze of her friends, Nessa self-consciously ate one of the marshmallows Fiyero had gotten for her.

"Where did you get marshmallows from?" Boq asked.

"_The Wilted Rose. _They put them in their hot chocolates," Fiyero replied.

As the others got and ate their lunch, Nessa munched on marshmallows. It wasn't until the end of lunch that she noted with some surprise that her throat did indeed feel better.

"Ha, _see!"_ Fiyero crowed smugly when she announced it to the table.

"I can't believe that works," Elphaba shook her head in mild dismay.

"I'm so going to have to try that next time I have a sore throat," Galinda agreed. "I _do_ hate the taste of the throat lozenges."

"Is it weird that this is the highlight of my day?" Fiyero asked Elphaba at the end of the lunch.

"Yes," she said immediately, then leaned up and kissed him quickly. "I better get going. Dr Caesaarwigg hates it when we're late. See you later."

"Bye," Fiyero farewelled her and watched her hurry off to her Literature class.

Literature was Elphaba's "fun class" as she called it, one that she was taking for no reason than her enjoyment of the subject.

Fiyero still hated literature, so he hadn't picked it and gave him an hour off. None of Elphaba's friends were in the class with her, but she didn't particularly mind about that, and she loved her teacher, finding her insightful and engaging. Now that Dr Dillamond had left, Elphaba felt this was the teacher she enjoyed most. And Dr Caesaarwigg, like Dr Dillamond, had never treated Elphaba differently because of her skin.

Galinda was taking Communication Studies that semester, and as her classroom was near Elphaba's and her class at the same time, usually waited around for her best friend.

"How was it?" Elphaba asked when she joined her at the end of class.

"It was ok," Galinda shrugged. "I'm not sure how much I like it though. Milla's doing Gender Studies, which sounds fascinating."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Glin, you know you're _never _going to pick a major, right?"

"I know," Galinda admitted. "I wish Momsie and Popsicle would agree to let me major in fashion design or something _fun, _but they think I need something 'practical'. Although how Communication Studies is practical..."

Elphaba just laughed.

"You can always come do Literature with me."

Galinda made a face. "But then I'd have to read all those books..."

They were almost at their dorm building when there was a shout behind them. They turned in unison and Elphaba had only a second to brace herself before Fiyero had grabbed her around the waist and whirled her around.

"Fiyero, what in Oz's name-" she gasped, clutching at his shoulders in alarm until he set her on her feet again.

Fiyero was beaming. "Fae, I ran into Morrible and I asked her if she'd made a decision yet."

Elphaba stilled. "And?" she asked finally.

"She said yes," he confirmed.

Galinda squealed in excitement and Elphaba gasped.

"Definishly?" she demanded and Fiyero nodded.

"Yes!"

Elphaba let out a happy laugh as she hugged Fiyero happily and he lifted her off her feet again, pressing his lips to hers joyfully. It was official- they were going to the Emerald City.

**AN. The marshmallow thing is TOTALLY true. **


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. Haha, so everyone is now going to be trying the marshmallow thing. The funny thing is, that I don't even like marshmallows. But I just hate the throat lozenges so much, that I'd rather eat marshmallows than the lozenges. **

**Chapter Six**

Elphaba had never realised just how many students on campus had been involved in the pen pal program. It seemed everyone was buzzing about the Emerald City and the CEC, the sights they wanted to see, the things they wanted to do, the things they wanted to buy. Galinda, much to Boq's barely disguised displeasure, was also focused on a very important aspect- the boys of the Emerald City.

And she wasn't the only one, there were plenty of girls talking to those students who had male pen pals, asking if they were single.

"Trying to steal our story," Fiyero grumbled, and Elphaba just rolled her eyes.

"Fiyero, only three other people at Shiz _know _our story," she pointed out. "And it's hardly the same."

Galinda did successfully drag Elphaba out shopping one weekend to buy the perfect outfit for the romantic night Fiyero was planning for two of them. Elphaba wasn't terribly enthusiastic.

"She made me buy a dress, shoes, jewellery _and _an evening bag," Elphaba ranted to Fiyero upon their return. "I have _never _had or needed an evening bag before in my life!"

She had dumped her purchases in her room and immediately went and found Fiyero who had been hanging out with Boq and Nessa in the student common room.

"You never _had_ a life," Galinda retorted, entering the room and overhearing. "Now you have a boyfriend. So you need an evening bag."

Elphaba glared at Fiyero, who held his hands up defensively.

"I'm sorry!" he said quickly, although he wasn't really sure why he was apologising.

Her glare faded in an instant, and she sighed heavily.

"It's not your fault," she said wearily, plopping down beside him on the sofa.

"Tired?" Fiyero asked in concern.

"Go shopping with Galinda. You'll be tired too," Elphaba replied with a faint smile.

Galinda rolled her eyes. "We were only gone for four hours, Elphie."

"_Only_ four hours," Elphaba scoffed under her breath. Then she turned to Fiyero. "What did you do today?"

"Nothing really," Fiyero shrugged. "Slept in, had breakfast..."

"Madame Morrible delivered information about the long weekend to the dorms," Boq offered.

"Really? I must have missed that. Anything interesting?" Elphaba asked.

Fiyero grimaced. "They expect us to leave at six o'clock on the Saturday," he complained.

Galinda's jaw dropped in horror. "Six o'clock in the _morning?!" _she asked in disbelief.

Fiyero nodded. "Yeah. So we can arrive at the CEC by noon. And then we leave at like three o'clock on Monday afternoon to come back."

"Six o'clock isn't _that _bad," Elphaba reasoned. "You can sleep on the way there."

"I can't sleep in a carriage," Galinda complained.

All students had been told that they could bring one suitcase with them, which posed a dilemma for Galinda.

"It won't all fit," she moaned to Elphaba on the Thursday night before they left as she tried to pack.

Elphaba looked up from her homework to glance over at her friend's suitcase.

"Galinda, why are you taking so much? We're only going to be there for a weekend," she said.

"I need to be prepared for everything," Galinda explained.

"You've packed _five_ pairs of shoes," Elphaba retorted.

Elphaba had already packed everything she needed, including the outfit Galinda had made her buy for her night out with Fiyero, which gave her one pair of shoes in addition to the one she would wear on the journey there, and she thought even _that _was too much.

Eventually with Elphaba's help, which largely involved her pulling things out of Galinda's suitcase and the blonde trying to justify why she needed to bring it and Elphaba staring at her pointedly until Galinda admitted she could probably leave it behind; Galinda was finally packed and ready to go.

"What do you do when you have to pack for a whole year here?" Elphaba demanded.

Galinda giggled. "Elphie, have you _seen_ how much luggage I bring with me?" she retorted and Elphaba merely rolled her eyes before returning to her homework.

Knowing they'd have to be up early on Saturday morning, Elphaba went to bed early the night before, with every intention of still being able to get a full eight hours sleep. Of course, it's those nights where your brain refuses to shut off and you end up being awake longer that you would have even if you'd gone to bed at your usual time.

It was after midnight before Elphaba finally managed to fall asleep, and it seemed only a moment later that her alarm was going off, at five am as she'd set it to.

Reaching out a hand, Elphaba turned the alarm off and turned on her lamp all with her eyes still shut. Lying there for a few more moments, she reluctantly opened her eyes, blinking against the light. Elphaba could tell immediately that she hadn't gotten the full amount of sleep her body required. She felt slow and sluggish and shivered as though she had a slight fever, as she always did when she had a lack of sleep.

Galinda had slept through the alarm, but Elphaba knew she had to wake her friend.

"Glin," she called out sleepily.

Galinda didn't stir.

"Galinda."

Elphaba raised her voice slightly, sitting up in bed.

When Galinda still didn't wake, Elphaba got out of bed, still shivering and pulled the bedspread off her friend.

Galinda squealed and immediately woke up as the cold air hit her.

"Elphie, what are you doing?! It's still dark outside!" she protested unhappily.

"It's five-oh- six. We have to be down in the courtyard in thirty-nine minutes. I'm going for the first shower," Elphaba replied and immediately headed to the bathroom for a hot shower, hoping to both warm herself and wake herself up somewhat.

Elphaba was much more of a morning person than Galinda, even with a shortage of sleep; so that by the time they met everyone else in the courtyard, Elphaba was still cold but vaguely coherent, unlike Galinda who was freezing and unwilling to talk to anyone.

"I need coffee," was the one thing she said when the girls met with Nessa, who didn't look very awake herself.

"Did someone say 'coffee'?"

The girls turned to see Fiyero and Boq approaching carrying several flasks between them.

"How did you get that?" Galinda squealed excitedly, suddenly perking up at the sight of the hot beverage.

"We went to the kitchens," Boq explained, handing one to her. "Fiyero put his skills to use and sweet talked the cafeteria ladies into filling them up for us."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend. "Oh, really?"

Fiyero immediately leapt to defend himself. "She's like my _mom's _age, and I knew _you'd_ want coffee, and _I _wanted coffee... I got you a big one," he added sweetly, handing one thermos to her.

"Hmm..." Elphaba said in response, but took the offered flask.

They actually left on time, and Fiyero managed to manipulate it so that the five of them could share a carriage. Fiyero was seated next to Elphaba, and put his arm around her shoulders as they set off.

"Are you ok?" he asked, noticing her shivering.

Elphaba nodded tiredly. She still felt slightly feverish, and not very awake, but that was it.

"I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, that's all."

He kissed the top of her head lightly. "Why don't you try and sleep? I offer my services as a pillow," he offered and she chuckled.

"I might," she relented.

The carriage was quiet, it was still too early for most of them. Elphaba did eventually drift off to sleep, her head resting on Fiyero's shoulder. It didn't feel like she'd slept, it wasn't the most comfortable nap she'd ever had and she couldn't get comfortable enough to actually sleep, given that she usually slept curled up in a ball under her blankets.

Finally, she gave up and opened her eyes, and was stunned to see that the sun was up and it was brightly lit outside. Elphaba lifted her head, wincing at the painful crick in her neck from having it at an odd angle and looked around the carriage.

Galinda was staring out the window blearily, Boq was hunched over a textbook, taking notes and Nessa was reading. Fiyero had his head resting against the back of the seat, and he was asleep, snoring slightly.

"What time is it?" she asked softly.

"Almost eleven," Boq replied. "We're about an hour away, I think."

Elphaba gingerly straightened in her seat and stretched her neck.

"Did any of you sleep?"

"I had a bit of a nap," Nessa nodded. "But only for an hour or so. How'd you sleep, Fabala?"

"I didn't think I had," Elphaba admitted. "I still feel like I haven't."

"I think we'll all be napping when we get to the hotel," Galinda agreed. "I'm so exhausted."

"You should have tried to sleep," Nessa suggested but Galinda shook her head.

"No, I can't sleep in a carriage. And neither of you two look particularly refreshed. Besides, Fiyero snores."

She said that last part with a glare at Fiyero's sleeping form, and Elphaba chuckled.

"It can't be that bad. I'm a pretty light sleeper and it didn't bother me," she pointed out.

"Isn't there that myth that if you sleep on your side you won't snore?" Boq asked.

"We're in a carriage," Nessa reminded him. "Besides, you're supposed to lift the head to stop snoring."

"Can't we just pinch his nose?" Galinda suggested, actually reaching over and stretching out her hand.

"Don't touch the nose," Fiyero replied before her hand was anywhere near his face, his eyes still closed and making everyone jump.

He opened his eyes and straightened his neck with a yawn.

"How far away are we?"

"About an hour," Nessa answered him.

They passed the next hour playing any travel game they could think of, including a tremendous tournament of "I Spy", which Nessa won. They were mid-way through a round of Twenty Questions when Galinda let out a squeal, and practically plastered herself against the window.

"Look! I can see the Emerald City!"

Elphaba, Nessa and Boq immediately directed their gaze out the windows.

Fiyero, who had been 'in' for Twenty Questions and was less impressed by the sight of the city skyline after having spent three months living in the city the year before, didn't bother.

"I was a fruit bat, just FYI," he offered, but was ignored.

"Huh, it really is green," Boq commented, sounding faintly surprised and the others turned to him in confusion.

"I thought maybe it was just the name," he shrugged.

"The buildings are as tall as Quoxwood trees," Nessa breathed, gazing upwards at the skyscrapers as they entered the city.

"Ooh, dress salons!" Galinda exclaimed excitedly.

Fiyero was watching Elphaba carefully, seeing her drink everything in as they passed. It made him smile to see her face, and he grew even more excited about their night out that he had planned.

Due to the number of students, the guests from Shiz would be staying at a hotel near the CEC. They had free reign (within reason, Morrible had stressed) to explore the city and do what they wanted that night. Sunday would be spent at the CEC, meeting their pen pals, and culminating in a big dinner that night. On the Monday, students were encouraged to see the city with their pen pals and do sightseeing, before they would leave to return to Shiz in the afternoon.

The teachers were very strict on room arrangements at the hotel, mainly when it came to separating the boys and the girls. Nessa, Elphaba and Galinda had gotten a room together, joined by (much to Elphaba's dismay) Galinda's friends Milla, Pfannee and Shen-Shen in the adjoining room. Elphaba could tolerate Milla, but Pfannee and Shen-Shen were no politer to Elphaba than they had been last year.

Elphaba and Fiyero had planned that he would pick her up at six o'clock that evening. Elphaba had admittedly been looking forward to it, but she felt bad for Nessa when she learned that Galinda and her other friends were planning a "girls" night.

"It doesn't worry me, Fabala," Nessa reassured her sister. "The girls don't bother me."

"And if they did, I wouldn't let them," Galinda added firmly.

"What exactly are you going to do?" Elphaba asked uncertainly.

Galinda shrugged. "Go out for dinner and then come back here and play with makeup and such until you come home so Nessa and I can hear _all _about your night!"

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Alright. Well, what time are you leaving?"

"After you leave. I need to help you get ready," Galinda said matter-of-factly.

"And how long will that take?" Elphaba asked warily, having been exposed to Galinda's makeovers before.

Galinda considered that. "I think if you shower at four-thirty, that should be enough time," she nodded.

"Well, we still have four and a half hours until then," Nessa said, looking at the time. "What do we do until then?"

Galinda looked out the window. "I feel like we should go out and look around, but I could honestly just hang out here and rest," she admitted.

"Me too," Nessa immediately agreed in relief.

Elphaba really wanted to go see more of the city, but she was worried if she did, she might fall asleep during dinner that night.

"I'm agreed," she nodded.

"I just can't believe I was up at _five _this morning," Galinda muttered unhappily. "What kind of ridiculous time is that to be up? It's still dark, for Oz's sake."

Elphaba just chuckled. She usually woke up between six and seven, depending on the day and what she had to do; but even she could admit getting up at five had been harder than she'd thought.

"What kind of college student needs an afternoon nap?" Galinda grumbled in self-disgust, even as she stretched out on the bed she'd claimed and closed her eyes.

"The kind who only got five hours sleep last night. Besides, isn't an afternoon nap better than falling asleep at eight-thirty?" Elphaba retorted.

Galinda reluctantly agreed.

All three girls napped for a few hours, and Elphaba wouldn't have been surprised if all their classmates hadn't followed suit. They were all staying in the one area of the hotel, and it seemed oddly quiet to have that many college students in such a small space.

When Elphaba awoke at four o'clock that afternoon, she did feel much more refreshed than her light sleep in the carriage had left her. Galinda and Nessa were still sleeping, and Elphaba decided not to disturb them. They'd set the alarm in the room to go off in half an hour anyway, she reasoned.

She dug a book out of her suitcase and spent the time reading, until the alarm buzzed and her sister and best friend stirred. Then Galinda ordered Elphaba to go shower, and she complied with a roll of her eyes. The hot water helped more than the nap had at making Elphaba feel better, and she wasn't sure how long she'd actually been in there before Galinda started banging on the door and telling her to hurry up. Elphaba thought that was a bit rich coming from her roommate who spent an hour in the bathroom each morning, but she didn't say anything as she turned the water off.

As she dried herself off and put on her dress, she could hear voices from outside the bathroom. Galinda and Nessa seemed engaged in fierce debate.

"What's going on?" she called out, wondering what was going on. Nessa and Galinda seemed the last two people to fight with one another.

"We're trying to decide if you should wear your hair up or down," Nessa called back in explanation and Elphaba groaned.

"_Seriously?" _

"I know Fiyero likes it down, but Nessa says up," Galinda added. "What do you say, Elphie?"

"I don't care. Flip a coin or something," Elphaba suggested. "I am not having this conversation. _Especially _through a bathroom door."

"Then hurry up and come out!" Nessa said impatiently, eager to see her sister's dress.

Galinda had chosen the dress, and Elphaba had been more than happy to go with her friend's choices.

The dress was a black collared lace and chiffon evening dress with an asymmetrical hemline. The bodice was lace with a high neck, with an under-layer from the breasts down, meaning you could see her skin underneath the lace across her neck and shoulders. It was sleeveless and had a chiffon layer from one shoulder down to her opposite hip, where it had kind of a tied-knot look before draping down asymmetrically down to her ankle. The under-layer that was under the bodice came to her knees, and the dress clung to Elphaba's figure without making her self-conscious.

Elphaba straightened the dress, stared at her reflection critically for a moment before finally stepping out of the bathroom.

"That's beautiful, Fabala," Nessa said admiringly. "And I still say hair up, so you don't take focus away from the dress," she added to Galinda.

Galinda studied Elphaba carefully. "Maybe you're right," she agreed. "Come on, Elphie. Sit here so I can do your hair."

Elphaba didn't see the point in arguing, so she merely contented herself with heavy sigh and sat down as Galinda dried her hair and arranged it into an simple yet elegant bun and then carefully applied a faint touch of makeup.

"I love these shoes," Nessa commented, admiring the black peep toe heels Galinda had forced Elphaba to buy to accessorise the dress with.

"You can borrow them if you want," Elphaba offered, sliding a silver bangle onto her wrist. "I hear that's an advantage of having a sister with the same size feet as you."

Nessa giggled. "When that sister owns shoes other than boots, yes," she teased.

Almost exactly at six o'clock, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Galinda offered immediately.

She fully expected to find Fiyero on the other side, but instead found Milla, Pfannee and Shen-Shen.

"Are you ready, Galinda?" Shen-Shen greeted her.

"We said six-thirty," the blonde retorted. "Remember? I said I needed to help Elphaba first."

"I told you it was six-thirty," Pfannee muttered. "Oh well. We'll just hang out here while you get ready."

She pushed past Galinda uninvited and the three girls came to a stop when they saw Elphaba, who was putting on her shoes.

"Wow. You... you actually look... almost pretty," Milla said, almost in surprise.

"Gee, thanks," Elphaba replied dryly.

Milla flushed slightly. "I didn't mean-"

"Forget it," Elphaba cut her off.

"Nice dress," Shen-Shen complimented her reluctantly.

Pfannee said nothing.

Galinda broke the awkward silence hurriedly. "I invited Nessa to come with us," she informed her friends.

"Oh, that's fine," Milla replied.

When the next knock sounded on the door a few minutes later, Elphaba was relieved just to get out of the room. She grabbed the black evening bag Galinda had made her buy, and rose to her feet hastily.

"That'll be Yero. Bye."

"Have fun," Nessa bid her farewell as her sister hurried to the door.

When Elphaba opened the door, she saw Fiyero standing there looking very handsome in a suit and tie. His face lit up when he saw Elphaba.

"Wow."

Elphaba laughed as she stepped into the hall and shut the door behind her.

"That's what Milla said. Followed by that I look 'almost pretty'."

"You look beautiful," Fiyero corrected, following that compliment with a gentle kiss.

Elphaba simply smiled. "Thank you," she replied, never quite sure how to respond to a compliment.

"So, where are we going?" she asked.

Fiyero had kept all his plan under wraps, so Elphaba was rather curious as to what he had planned. But Fiyero wasn't going to give everything away at once.

"You'll see," he said mysteriously, and led her down the hall.

The carriage Fiyero had ordered was waiting outside the hotel for them, and Fiyero helped Elphaba inside before giving quiet instructions to the driver and climbing in himself. Elphaba spent most of the drive looking out the window once more, the city looked different at night. When they eventually came to a stop, Elphaba saw they had stopped outside a restaurant which the sign read was called _Lujo_, but to Elphaba it just screamed "incredibly exclusive and expensive."

She turned to Fiyero, who read her expression correctly, and just grinned.

"Come on, Fae."

Elphaba exited the carriage and let Fiyero take her hand as he led her inside. He had a quick conversation with the hostess and they were immediately led to a table. Fiyero ordered a bottle of wine to begin with and their waiter left them with menus.

"If you so much as look at prices, I'm just going to take it off you and order you the most expensive thing here," Fiyero warned her.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "You're joking, right?"

"Do you want to try me?" he retorted and Elphaba relented with a sigh.

"You could look less smug about it," she muttered as she opened the menu and Fiyero laughed.

Elphaba found it harder than she expected to not look at the prices listed, but she didn't dare comment on them; mostly because she actually wouldn't be surprised if Fiyero followed through with his threat.

"Are you ready to order?" the waiter asked when he returned with the wine and poured it for them.

"Fae, you ready?" Fiyero asked and she nodded.

"Sure."

Elphaba ordered a chicken, mushroom and asparagus vol au vent with a side salad and baked potatoes; whilst Fiyero ordered lobster ravioli in tomato cream sauce with shrimp.

When the waiter had gone, Elphaba looked around her, a strange expression on her face.

"What is it, Fae?" Fiyero asked her with a slight frown.

She shook her head. "I don't know. Something feels... off."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "If this is about the money-"

Elphaba laughed slightly. "No! Well, I still think you're ridiculous, but it's not that... I can't put my finger on it..."

She was utterly perplexed by it, and she took a sip of wine as she mulled it over. And then it hit her.

"No one's staring."

Fiyero tilted his head in confusion. "Huh?"

"No one's staring," Elphaba repeated, sounded amazed. "No one's staring or pointing..."

Fiyero looked around and sure enough, no one was really giving a second glance to the green girl sitting in the high scale restaurant.

A small grin spread over his face. "And that feels wrong to you?" he teased her.

She laughed sheepishly. "I'm just used to people staring," she admitted. "I hate it, but I'm used to it."

"I guess in a green city, you're just not that special," Fiyero informed her jokingly.

"Thank Oz for that," Elphaba muttered in relief.

The knowledge that no one in the Emerald City seemed to find her skin odd or strange greatly brightened Elphaba's mood, and they talked quietly as they ate.

"The food's great," Elphaba commented.

"It should be for the price they're charging," Fiyero joked and Elphaba stared at him pointedly.

"It was a joke, Fae," he chuckled.

His smile faded as he looked at her intently. "Do you object to money being spent in general, or money being spent on _you_?"

Elphaba fiddled absent-mindedly with her napkin. "Both, I guess. Mostly the latter," she admitted.

"Elphaba, you're a Governor's daughter," he reminded her. "It may not be royalty, but it hardly leaves you in a destitute position."

"No," Elphaba agreed. "But those luxuries never came to me. Money was never spent on me beyond what was absolutely necessary."

Fiyero reached over and took her hand. "Fae, I love that you're not interested in material goods and commercialism and all that other stuff, I do," he said sincerely. "But you're going to have to get over that a little, and let people spoil you."

"People meaning you?"

"For starters," he grinned.

Elphaba didn't quite know what to say. "Why?" she asked finally.

Fiyero raised her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "Because I love you and I want you to have the best," he answered simply.

"I don't mean you have to let me spoil you constantly," he added to reassure her. "I just mean... things like this. A fancy night out once in a while. Holidays... the occasional gift just because I see something and think of you. Can you at least try and do that for me?"

Elphaba met his gaze and smiled sheepishly, now feeling a little bad for making a big deal out of an incredible gesture from her boyfriend.

"I'll try," she agreed. "It's just... something else to get used to."

He squeezed her hand lightly. "Thank you. Now let's eat. We have places to be."

Elphaba was visibly surprised, she had expected dinner to be it. "There's more? What?"

"Just eat," he directed vaguely.

By the time they'd finished and were leaving the restaurant, it was a quarter to eight.

"Are we going far?" Elphaba asked, beginning to feel tired again, but suspected that had to do with the two glasses of wine she'd drunk with dinner.

"Not far," Fiyero promised her.

"Can we walk it?" she asked. "It will keep me awake."

Fiyero glanced down at her feet. "Will you be alright in the heels?"

She nodded. "Sure."

So Fiyero agreed and they set off down the street, arm in arm. Elphaba was noticing more now, how easily she passed people without the customary double take on their part to see a girl with green skin.

"I love it here," she announced to Fiyero. "It's nice... to feel normal for once, you know? Just a girl out with her boyfriend; instead of being _'the Artichoke'_ out with the _'scandalacious Fiyero Tiggular_' and have everyone wonder why you picked me."

Fiyero didn't even stop walking as he kissed the top of her head. "I picked you because you're perfect," he murmured.

If it were any other night, Elphaba would have protested what they both knew- she wasn't perfect. But instead she just leaned into him, and let herself believe what they both knew he really meant by those words- that she was perfect for him.

They'd only walked a block before Fiyero drew her to a stop and she looked where they were.

"The theatre?!" she asked.

Fiyero reached into his suit jacket pocket and pulled out two tickets. "I thought it was time you got to experience the real thing," he said with a gentle smile.

Munchkinland wasn't exactly a cultural hot zone in Oz, and Elphaba had only dreamed of attending the theatre for years, after reading about the experience in books. She had mentioned it to Fiyero once in a letter before he even knew the identity of "Fae" and she was touched that he had remembered.

Without waiting for her to react, he led her inside. He'd gotten great seats- third row centre- to a supposedly classic play. Fiyero didn't know much about these things, despite having attended the theatre several times before; but he was pretty sure Elphaba had mentioned it or studied it or _something _like that, so he just had his fingers crossed she hadn't mentioned it because she hated it.

He needn't have worried however, Elphaba didn't take her eyes from the stage for the entire first act, and again during the second. Fiyero found that he was enjoying it too, but mostly he was enjoying watching Elphaba enjoy it. But he suspected if she'd ever mentioned that she found watching paint dry particularly exciting he'd have the same reaction.

"As much as I've loved tonight, please tell me this is it," Elphaba said to him as they left the theatre.

Fiyero chuckled. "That's it," he confirmed, leading her to where the carriage was waiting to take them back to the hotel.

As soon as she sat down, Elphaba had kicked off her heels and pulled out her bun, which was beginning to make her head ache... but that could have been the wine again too. Her hair fell into waves down her back from having dried in the bun, and Fiyero couldn't help but smile as he saw it.

"What?" she asked, noticing him staring.

"Did I tell you how beautiful you are?"

Elphaba blushed slightly. "Yes."

She moved closer to him on the seat and rested her head on his shoulder. She felt drained again and couldn't wait to be able to go to sleep; but at the same time, she felt utterly contented and loved. She could finally understand why girls loved being spoiled by their boyfriends. It wasn't about the money, it was about the gesture and knowing that they did it because they loved you.

"Thank you for tonight," she said quietly. "It was perfect."

"You're welcome, Fae," Fiyero replied and tipped her head up so he could kiss her.

Elphaba deepened the kiss, winding her arms around his neck and turning awkwardly on her seat as he pulled her closer. Eventually she pulled away, needing to breathe and Fiyero simply moved his lips down to her jaw, making her shiver and move closer to him. Fiyero grabbed her legs and hooked them over his, placing one hand on her bare knee and rubbed gentle circles with his thumb.

"Is this the wine or the sleep deprivation?" he murmured to her. "Just so I know what I have to do to encouragise this more often," he added with a grin and Elphaba actually giggled.

"I didn't even drink that much! I had two _tiny_ glasses of wine, three hours ago!" she protested.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm not complaining," he pressed a soft kiss just in front of her ear. He was so good about not pushing her and getting her more comfortable with the more intimate gestures.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm pretty sure it's because of you," she replied.

Fiyero laughed. "That's the easiest thing for me to encouragise. What did I do?"

"You love me," she said simply and Fiyero's face softened before kissing her softly.

"I can definitely keep doing that," he whispered.

The couple spent a long time outside of Elphaba's hotel room saying goodnight, and when she finally slipped back into the room, Elphaba was surprised to find that Nessa and Galinda were still up.

"Fabala, it's after midnight! Where were you?" Nessa asked, sounding relieved to see her. Then she frowned as she looked more closely at her sister.

"Elphaba, your face is all flushed. Are you feeling alright?"

Galinda smirked and giggled at her best friend knowingly. "She's fine, Nessa. A little oxygen deprived, I'd guess, but fine."

Elphaba blushed. "Shut up."

She grabbed her nightgown and headed to the bathroom.

"How was it?" Nessa called after her.

Elphaba turned with a smile. "It was perfect," she replied and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

**AN. There is a picture of Elphaba's dress on my blog. **


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. There is a VERY tiny M*A*S*H reference in this chapter. See if you can spot it :P**

**And many people mentioned the paint drying line in the previous chapter as a fave. It's one of mine too! **

**Chapter Seven**

Elphaba refused to tell Nessa or Galinda anything about her date with Fiyero until they were getting dressed the next morning. Galinda kept pushing for details, not really satisfied with Elphaba's account of "he took me to dinner and the theatre" before spending the next ten minutes telling them every detail about the play they had seen. To Galinda, there were much more important details.

"Galinda, why does it matter what wine we had with dinner?" Elphaba asked, from where she was squeezed into the bathroom for a glimpse of the mirror as Galinda applied her makeup.

"I can tell you it was white, but other than that you'll have to ask Fiyero."

"It's all about _details, _Elphie," Galinda replied, putting on blush. "For someone who spent months writing letters to your boyfriend, you sure suck at telling stories. It really makes me doubt what you two actually talked about. If I hadn't seen those letters for myself..."

"You said you didn't read them," Nessa pointed out, wheeling herself to the bathroom door to join the conversation.

"I didn't," Galinda said hastily. "But sometimes... you know... I couldn't _help _seeing the odd sentence here and there."

Catching the reflection of Elphaba's glare in the mirror she added, "Which I will take to my _grave."_

"You'd better," Elphaba muttered. She wasn't sure exactly what her best friend had read, but she was trusting her to keep it to herself.

There was a knock on the door, surprising the girls.

"I'll get it," Elphaba offered. She squeezed out of the bathroom and headed for the door, absentmindedly scratching her wrist as she walked. She hated when her skin was dry, it always itched and she was hopeless at remembering to moisturise every day as Galinda ordered her to.

When she opened the door, Elphaba was surprised to find Boq and Fiyero on the other side.

"What are you doing here?" she greeted them.

"We thought we'd escort you three lovely ladies to breakfast," Fiyero grinned, kissing Elphaba lightly. "Good morning."

She couldn't help but smile. "Good morning."

When the girls- namely Galinda, were ready, the five of them headed down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast.

"How'd you sleep?" Fiyero asked Elphaba quietly, drawing her close.

"Fine. Not very long, but fine," she replied. "But I got more than five hours so I'll take it. You?"

"Good," he nodded.

"That guy Antim is in the room next to ours," Boq spoke up. "He's stayed here before and said the food is great."

"Well, it's got to be better than cafeteria food," Fiyero grinned.

As they ate breakfast, the room was filled with excited chatter between friends, some excited and some nervous about meeting the people they'd been writing to for a year.

"Poor buggers," Fiyero said sympathetically.

Nessa raised an eyebrow. "You relate, Fiyero?"

"Absolutely. I was _petrified_ before meeting Fae."

"Which time?" Boq asked innocently, and Fiyero glared at the Munchkin.

"Both. Although for different reasons," he admitted.

Boq grinned. "Actually, I remember the first time. You _were _terrified. It was kind of funny," he laughed.

"Thanks, Boq," Fiyero said sarcastically.

Elphaba avoided anyone's gaze. "I was more nervous the second time," she confessed. She didn't have to add that it was because of what had happened the first time, they all knew it; prompting Fiyero to silently took her hand in his under the table and squeeze it gently.

The Shiz students were at the CEC by ten o'clock that morning. They were supposed to meet their pen pals in the auditorium and Elphaba had to laugh when Fiyero had to stop and think where that was.

"You were here for three months," she reminded him. "It wasn't _that _long ago."

"Hey, I only remember the important things," Fiyero grinned. "Just be thankful I'm not supposed to be finding the library or a classroom. _Then _we'd be in trouble."

On their way to the auditorium, they passed the courtyard and although there was really no need, Fiyero pointed out the giant Wizard statue that had ultimately gotten him expelled. All knowing the story, they paused to look.

Elphaba tilted her head. "You transformed that into a _dragon_ with _sheets?!"_

"Supposedly," Fiyero shrugged. "That's up for debate."

"By _you_," Elphaba muttered, but he ignored her.

"How did you do the wings?" Boq asked, sounding rather impressed.

"Don't encouragise him," Nessa scolded her ex-boyfriend.

They were hurried along quickly and entered the auditorium, finding it milling with awkward students trying to find one another. Nessa soon found her pen pal and disappeared, and Boq and Galinda weren't far behind. That left Elphaba and Fiyero alone, as Fiyero scanned the room to find his former roommate.

"Won't Lau be busy with his _own_ pen pal?" Elphaba asked.

Fiyero shrugged carelessly. "I guess, but he can spare five minutes to meet us."

Elphaba couldn't help but notice that here, some people did stare. But it wasn't a case of staring at the girl with the odd green skin; moreover, it was more girls staring at the girl who was obviously Fiyero Tiggular's girlfriend. Elphaba was used to those stares at Shiz, but these weren't merely only the stares of girls who were attracted to or who admired Fiyero, they were different. And Elphaba suspected why.

"Er, Fiyero? I think some of your _friends_ have noticed us."

Fiyero was both startled and confused. Other than Lau, he didn't have many people he'd consider friends at the CEC. And then he looked more closely at the people watching them and Elphaba's pointed look before looking sheepish.

"Oh, right. Um... you see..."

"Fiyero, if you think I'm suddenly oblivious to the fact you dated other girls before me, you're an idiot," Elphaba said bluntly, even slightly amused by his guilty and panicked expression on his face.

"Do I like it? Not especially, but I can't change it."

Fiyero didn't know what to say. "Is this something I can apologise for anyway?" he asked with a grimace.

Elphaba smiled slightly. "Not really, but if it makes you feel better..."

He stepped forward and kissed her gently. "I'm sorry. And I love you."

Elphaba wasn't sure if she smiling at his words or at the no doubt stunned and outraged reactions she was sure was crossing the face of every girl in the room watching at that moment, but she was smiling.

"I love you too. Come on, let's find Lau."

When Fiyero spotted Lau finally, he led Elphaba across to him. Elphaba watched as Fiyero and Lau greeted one another with a typically male half-handshake, half-hug that made her roll her eyes. Then Fiyero turned to Elphaba, pulling her forward with a smile.

"Elphaba, this is Lau. Lau, Elphaba," he introduced them.

Lau looked faintly surprised for a moment when he saw Elphaba and then extended a hand to her.

"It's nice to finally meet you," he said warmly.

"You too," Elphaba replied, shaking his hand. "I guess I owe you a thank you for passing all my letters on last year."

He grinned. "No worries. I like to think it was my little part helping you two get together."

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "_You _want credit, _Galinda _wants credit... don't _I_ get any credit?"

"What does Galinda want credit for? What did she do?" Elphaba asked him in surprise.

Fiyero shrugged. "Nagged me? I don't know, I didn't ask."

Lau paused. "Galinda. That would be the infamous Miss Upland? Your ex-girlfriend and _your _best friend?" he asked, pointing to first Fiyero and then Elphaba.

"And that's really not awkward for anyone?"

Elphaba and Fiyero exchanged a glance.

"Well... sometimes," Elphaba admitted.

They stood around chatting for a few more moments, and then Elphaba heard Galinda's voice calling out to her.

"Elphie!"

She turned and saw Galinda approaching, followed by a girl who Elphaba figured must be Tena, her friend's pen pal.

"I think that's my cue," she said to Fiyero. "I'll see you guys in a bit."

She excused herself and walked over to join her roommate. Galinda happily introduced her pen pal to her best friend, who seemed much more interested in who Elphaba was dating rather than the colour of her skin.

"Galinda told me all about how you two got together. It's so romantic," she gushed. "Although I was so surprised to hear that Fiyero was in the program."

Elphaba frowned slightly. "Wasn't he told to sign up in front of the entire school?"

"Yes," Tena nodded. "Although Fiyero was told to do a lot of things," she added with a laugh. "That doesn't mean they were done."

"I have no trouble believing that," Elphaba said dryly.

She had one question. "Did you see the dragon?"

"The one that got Fiyero expelled?" Tena asked. "Yeah. I thought it was pretty cool actually. I didn't think it was worth expulsion, but I guess it was the last straw for the Headmaster, you know?"

"I didn't know you knew Fiyero," Galinda said to her.

"Well, he didn't know me," Tena shrugged. "But everyone knew _him_."

It was twenty minutes before Elphaba managed to excuse herself from the conversation and scanned the room for Fiyero. From what she could see, the meeting between pen pals seemed to be a success. They seemed to have progressed from pairs to small groups, as groups of Shiz or CEC students came together so their pen pals could meet their friends.

Many others had left the auditorium, including Boq. Elphaba spotted Nessa with Sybhal in a small group of girls, and she could see Antim- who she knew was Lau's pen pal in another group, but not Lau himself. Elphaba headed outside, and saw Fiyero and Lau sitting on the steps outside, their backs to her. She wasn't sure whether to interrupt or not, but she was a short distance away when she heard her name being mentioned, and she stilled her footsteps.

She wasn't intending to eavesdrop, but she was curious as to what they were saying about her, and ducked around a corner so they wouldn't see her if they should turn around.

"So, how serious is it? With Elphaba?" Lau was asking.

"What, like on a scale of one to ten? An eleven," Fiyero replied without hesitation.

Lau laughed. "What's an eleven?"

"Higher than a ten," Fiyero grinned.

Lau rolled his eyes and Fiyero sobered, although the smile never lost his face.

"It means I love her more than anything," he said seriously.

Lau raised an eyebrow. "Are we talking like... _The One_ here?"

There was only a brief pause. "Yeah, we are," Fiyero said softly.

"Does she know?"

"Well, I haven't exactly told her yet," Fiyero admitted. "I want to find the perfect moment. I mean, that's bigger than 'I love you'; it's telling her that I want to spend the rest of my life with her. And it's the whole discussion of marriage and children..."

"Ruling the Vinkus," Lau finished.

Fiyero laughed. "In my case, yes."

"So, what's this 'perfect' moment? After she's met your parents?"

"I don't think that's so important," Fiyero answered. "I mean, I can't wait for them to meet her and I know they're going to love her and I think she's really going to like them, but it's not the biggest factor."

"What is then?"

Fiyero looked at his friend with a smile. "That's my secret. But don't worry, I'll know when," he assured him.

"Are you worried about her answer?" Lau frowned.

"No," Fiyero replied confidently. "I just want to do it right."

"Do what right?" Elphaba announced her presence, heading towards them and being careful to keep her voice light.

Fiyero grinned up at her as she sat down beside him. "Hey, Fae."

"Ah, the 'Fae' thing," Lau nodded. "Is _that _weird? I mean, do you call Fiyero by whatever his fake name was?" he asked Elphaba.

"No," she replied with a smile. "But I like 'Fae'."

"I should hope so considering _you_ made it up," Fiyero teased her and she rolled her eyes.

"You _know _what I mean."

Then she looked back at Lau. "Does your pen pal mind that you ditched him for Fiyero?"

Lau grinned. "No. His cousin goes here, so he's catching up with him."

"So, what are we going to do until dinner?" Fiyero asked them.

"How about a tour?" Elphaba suggested.

Fiyero shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"I'm happy to play tour guide," Lau agreed.

Elphaba grinned. "I was counting on that. Fiyero didn't remember where the auditorium was, I wasn't counting on him to remember anything else."

"Hey!" Fiyero protested.

"Fiyero, where's the library?" Lau asked pointedly.

Fiyero paused for a moment. "OK, you may have a point," he conceded.

Lau gave Elphaba and Fiyero the grand tour of the CEC, and although Fiyero really could have cared less, he did find a few recollections coming back to him as they walked around and he and Lau told stories to Elphaba as they went. Few amused her. She was much more intrigued by the buildings and grounds, especially the library. It was much bigger than the one at Shiz, and she could have spent hours in there looking around. Which is probably Fiyero only let her spend a few minutes inside the building.

"So how does the food at Shiz compare with the CEC?" Lau asked Fiyero as they were heading to the dining hall for dinner.

"The food's better here," Fiyero replied. "But Shiz has more restaurants around campus that we can go to instead of eating in the cafeteria."

"And by 'more' he means 'more affordable for the average student'," Elphaba added.

Lau grinned. "Gotcha."

"Although the food isn't _bad_ at Shiz," Elphaba defended. "It's not amazing, but it's edible and it tastes good."

"That is true," Fiyero acknowledged. "I've been at schools where they may as well serve cardboard; or it tastes like it's surplus food from a war or two."

Elphaba laughed. "You think a can of beans survived two wars and is being served to university students?"

"I'm saying it would explain a lot," Fiyero replied. "Let me assure you, I got out of _that _school pretty quick."

"How quick?" Lau asked.

"Three weeks," Fiyero grinned proudly. "My personal best."

"That's nothing to be proud of, Fiyero," Elphaba scolded him with a roll of her eyes.

"You sound just like my parents," Fiyero grumbled.

"Er, I don't think that's a great thing to tell your girlfriend," Lau pointed out.

The food _was _good, and the dining hall was full of noise as everyone ate and talked.

"Horrible Morrible is going to be so smug," Boq commented as they ate.

"She'll probably insist it was all her idea," Elphaba agreed.

Sybhal, Nessa's pen pal frowned. "Who's Horrible Morrible?" she asked.

"Our Headshizstress, _Madame _Morrible," Nessarose explained, glaring at Boq for using the nickname Shiz students used as opposed to her title.

Lau chuckled. "That's clever."

"What if this _hadn't_ worked?" Galinda asked.

"Then it would be the Headmaster of the CEC's idea and they'd dismiss it as a failed experiment," Elphaba replied.

"They'll probably be doing this program for the next fifty years," Fiyero nodded.

"And make it compulsory," Lau chimed in.

"Is that a bad thing?" Tena asked uncertainly.

"Only if you're going to write to your pen pal telling them they could become an axe murderer," Fiyero said innocently.

Elphaba glared at him. "You insist on bringing that up repeatedly, but it worked out pretty well for you," she reminded him.

"That's true," he admitted.

Sybhal looked at Nessa. "Are we missing something?"

Nessa laughed. "They always do that."

"You just learn to ignore it," Boq added.

The CEC students still looked confused.


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. I forgot to mention something when I uploaded the last chapter- all those people who reviewed and said they get up at 5 (or earlier)- ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Why in Oz's name are you up that early? I wake up at 6.30, get up anywhere between 7 and 8 and I'm at work by 8.30 ready for when the bell goes at 8.55. The only time I'm actually up before six is if like I'm getting an early flight somewhere (which I'm actually doing tomorrow. Getting a 6.30 flight, so I'll be up at around 4.30). **

**Chapter Eight**

"Here we have a small sector of the Shiz University students, a rather _unique_ bunch. Twice within the school year, this section of the herd hibernates in a musty old building filled with books, attempting to cram all knowledge into their heads so that they can reproduce it all on paper in a concentrated two week period. These students eat and sleep less frequently, and isolate themselves from their friends and mate. Other symptoms include irritability, an incessant nagging of others around them to mimic their behaviour and a brain delay in following conversations."

Elphaba didn't even look up from the notes she was writing.

"I never should have encourageised you to take that anthropology class."

Fiyero grinned as he slid into the seat opposite Elphaba in the library.

"Fae, you've practically been living in here for the past three days. It's just mid-terms, they aren't that big of a deal. And you already know everything anyway."

Elphaba finally looked up and rolled her eyes. "Yero, did you ever consider that it seems like I know everything _because _I study?"

Fiyero ignored that. "Fae, we're worried."

"We?" Elphaba raised an eyebrow.

"Glin told me she thinks you're getting sick."

"Because I'm tired? That happens when I'm sleeping less."

"She said you had a coughing fit this morning."

Elphaba rolled her eyes again. "I was drinking water and it went down the wrong way, so yeah, I coughed. It doesn't mean I'm getting sick."

"Just promise me you're taking care of yourself," Fiyero said seriously.

She smiled faintly. "I am, I promise. So you and Galinda can quit worrying. If Nessa hears of this, she'll never get off my case," she warned and Fiyero laughed.

"Got it. What happened to that fancy colour coordinated timetable you made up at the beginning of the semester?"

"That doesn't apply at exam time," Elphaba insisted and Fiyero laughed.

Fiyero looked at his watch. "Ok, well how much longer do you think you'll be? Any chance I can pry you out for some dinner tonight?"

Elphaba looked at the time and nodded. "I'll meet you outside at six?"

He grinned and leaned over the table to kiss her. "Deal."

Once he'd gone, Elphaba sighed tiredly and lay down her pen, scratching her arm lightly. She felt a little bad that she had already broken her promise to Fiyero- not that she thought she was sick, but she hadn't exactly been taking good care of herself and it did seem to be taking a toll on her.

She'd lost a little weight over the past week or so, but she figured that was because of her tendency to forget to eat when she was so caught up in her work. And she was noticing more and more that the feverish feeling was persistent, but was taking that as a sign she was coming down with a cold or maybe the flu that Nessa had caught before their Emerald City visit. And her random sleep patterns left her constantly tired and drained.

But she resolved to do better now, and dinner with Fiyero was a good start to that. So, promptly at six, Elphaba was outside waiting for Fiyero to meet her for dinner. It was cold, and although it hadn't started snowing yet this season, she suspected it would be soon. She'd only been out there for a few minutes, before he lightly jogged towards her.

"Hey," he greeted her, kissing her softly.

"Hey," Elphaba replied, and then coughed lightly.

Fiyero raised an eyebrow and she smiled. "Dry throat. Let's go."

They headed to _The Wilted Rose _and grabbed a table. Fiyero ordered a lasagne but Elphaba only ordered a sandwich and fries.

"So, what did you today while I was at the library?" she asked him.

Fiyero shrugged. "Nothing much. Wrote a letter to my parents, hung out with Boq, got cornered by Galinda because she wanted to stage an intervention with you... the usual."

Elphaba laughed. "An intervention? Why all the fuss? This didn't happen before finals last semester."

"I asked her about that. She said during finals she was more concerned with your love life than your health."

The answer was typically Galinda and Elphaba couldn't help but smile even as she shook her head.

"That sounds about right. You're studying though, aren't you?"

Fiyero grinned. "Didn't you pay attention to my awesome anthropological spiel in the library?"

"I did and you're lucky I'm choosing to overlook the phrases _"section of the herd", "incessant nagging_" and the reference to yourself as my "_mate_". Don't avoid the question- are you studying for midterms?"

"Yeah," Fiyero shrugged. "Not as much as you, but I've picked up a book or two."

Elphaba chuckled. "Well, that's better than Galinda's answer of '_I'm getting to it' _when I asked her. Midterms are only three weeks away, you know."

"I know," Fiyero reassured her. "And then it's _holidays!" _he sang gleefully. "And my birthday, in case you forgot," he winked.

"How could I? You've reminded me every day since November started," she teased.

"I can't believe it's almost December," Elphaba sighed.

"Yeah," Fiyero agreed. "This time last year I was... well, that's not important."

Elphaba rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink to wet her throat. But as their food arrived and they began to eat, Elphaba couldn't help but reflect on where _she _had been at this time the year before. She and Galinda had still been at odds with one another, and she had been keeping her friendship with "Dathien" fiercely secret from everyone.

"What are you thinking about?" Fiyero asked gently.

"Just the past year," she answered. "It must start snowing soon, right? I'm pretty sure it was around this time last year it started."

"I think the weather report said it would snow at the end of the week," Fiyero nodded.

Then he brightened. "Do you reckon if it snowed hard enough they'd cancel midterms?"

"I doubt it," Elphaba said dryly.

Elphaba only ate half her sandwich, but got the other half wrapped up so she could have it later, never one to waste food. Fiyero then walked her back to her room, and although it wasn't terribly late, they said goodnight, so Elphaba could get a bit more of her notes done before going to sleep.

Galinda wasn't in the room when she entered and Elphaba took advantage of the quiet by immediately setting to work. Twenty minutes later, Galinda returned.

"Hi, Elphie. Do you have anything for mosquito bites? I've got one on my ankle and it's driving me _crazy_," she stressed.

Elphaba laughed and got up from her desk. "Yeah, hang on a clock-tick."

She dug through her nightstand drawer and pulled out a small tube.

"Here you go, pawpaw ointment. It fixes everything."

Galinda took the tube and dabbed the ointment on her mosquito bite.

"Are you studying again tonight?" Galinda asked.

Elphaba looked back at her desk, and then at Galinda, remembering what Fiyero had said to her earlier.

"I think I'm done for today actually."

Galinda beamed. "Good! So we can do something fun?"

Elphaba groaned and Galinda's face fell. "What? You said you weren't studying?"

"No, but your idea and my idea of 'fun' are very different," Elphaba replied and Galinda giggled.

"I wasn't going to suggest a makeover, Elphie," she reassured her.

Elphaba couldn't quite hide her relief.

"Well, what were you going to suggest then?"

Galinda shrugged. "I was thinking just a girl's night? Get some junk food and just talk?"

Elphaba smiled, but she was faintly surprised. She wondered if Galinda's suggestion meant there was something she wanted to talk to her about-that hopefully wasn't an intervention.

"OK," she agreed readily.

Galinda went and got their junk food, although Elphaba really wasn't that hungry still and then she set up camp on the end of Elphaba's bed, leaning against the wall as Elphaba sat resting against her pillows.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Galinda asked and Elphaba couldn't help but laugh.

"Galinda this was _your _idea. You must have a had a topic in mind."

"Well... there _is _this guy in my Communication Studies class," Galinda said slyly.

Elphaba grinned. "So, we're starting to find _something _about the class we like, are we?"

Galinda laughed. "I guess so," she agreed.

"You haven't really dated in a while," Elphaba said, as though only just realising that.

"I did over the summer!" Galinda defended herself.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Galinda, letting the same boys fawn over you, buy you gifts and escort you to parties, who've fawned over you since puberty is _not _the same thing as dating. Even _I _know that."

"I haven't really found anyone I actually want to _date_ like, have a relationship with," Galinda admitted.

"Well, there's always Boq," Elphaba said dryly.

Galinda smiled. "Boq's sweet, but I could never be interested in him like _that. _Besides, I wouldn't do that to Nessa. She was so devastrated when they broke up. And girls don't date their friend's exes."

Elphaba frowned. "Er, Glin?"

"You and Fiyero are different," Galinda waved a hand dismissively. "You two were writing and half in love before I even met Fiyero."

Elphaba spluttered. "We weren't '_half in love'!_ What are you talking about?"

Galinda giggled. "Never mind, Elphie. How are you and Fiyero anyway?"

"Same as always," Elphaba replied vaguely. "You see us together every day," she pointed out.

Then Elphaba fell silent, slowly eating a piece of chocolate, just for something to do.

"Hey, Galinda... do you think it can ever be too soon to tell someone that... that they're The One?"

Galinda gaped at her with wide eyes for a moment. "Elphaba! Have you-"

"No, I haven't," she quickly cut her off. "But... I know Fiyero's planning to."

Galinda still appeared to be in shock. "Wha... how do you know?" she demanded.

"I overheard him and Lau talking when we were at the CEC," Elphaba admitted. "He said he was waiting for the right moment."

Galinda reached over and punched Elphaba on the leg. "Elphie, that was three weeks ago! Why didn't you say anything?!"

"I didn't think I was going to say anything until he actually told me," Elphaba replied, rubbing her leg. "But... I've just been thinking about it a lot."

"So, he _actually _said he's planning to tell you that you're The One?" Galinda asked.

"He said he's just waiting for the right moment," Elphaba nodded.

"Wow. Elphie, that's _huge!" _Galinda exclaimed.

"I know. That's why I'm asking... you don't think it's too soon?"

Galinda sighed thoughtfully. "Elphie, I think that really depends on the couple. And I mean... you and Fiyero... your relationship is so different to anyone else's. But you _have _been together for five months. Why? You're... you're not worried he's going to change his mind, are you?" she frowned worriedly.

"No," Elphaba said quickly. "I just... sometimes I feel like... because of everything that happened before we got together... we skipped a few steps. I just wouldn't want it to backfire by doing anything _too _big too soon."

"And?" Galinda prodded, sensing there was more Elphaba wasn't saying.

"And... Fiyero always said that he wouldn't think about marriage until after graduation."

Galinda was surprised. "Really? He said that?"

Elphaba hesitated, before getting off the bed and going over to her bookcase where the scrapbooks Galinda had made sat. She picked one out and began flicking through it. Galinda sat and waited patiently until Elphaba finally found the right letter.

"_Personally, I think the idea of getting married before you've graduated is a bit insane. Isn't college supposed to be about finding yourself, and what you want to do with your life? If you happen to meet the person to spend the rest of your life with there, good for you, but I wouldn't make that decision until after graduation," _she read aloud.

Galinda laughed. "Elphie, when did he write that?"

Elphaba looked at the date. "January."

"So, he hadn't been in love before when he wrote that, least of all with you. I think he's allowed to change his mind. Do you feel the same? Is he The One?"

Elphaba returned the scrapbook to the shelf and resumed her position on the bed.

"I don't know if I believe in _The One,_" she admitted. "But..." she added, blushing slightly. "I feel the same about the sentiment. Spending the rest of our lives together."

Galinda beamed. "That's so exciting. I can be your maid of honour, right?"

Elphaba laughed. "Galinda, we're nowhere near _that _point."

Galinda sighed. "Fine. But I get first dibs," she warned her.

Eventually around ten o'clock, Galinda noticed Elphaba looked as though she were about to fall asleep any second and declared the night to be over.

"Goodnight Elphie," Galinda said quietly before they went to sleep.

"'Night, Glin," Elphaba replied.

Elphaba fell asleep quickly, later, she wouldn't even remember that usual period of trying to get comfortable and relax her brain enough to fall asleep. All she remembered was Galinda turning off the light.

The next thing Elphaba knew, she was awake and wet. Opening her eyes blearily, it took her a moment to realise she was soaked to the skin. Sitting up carefully, Elphaba couldn't comprehend how it happened, it literally looked like someone had simply thrown a bucket of water on her, and she actually looked up for a moment as though expecting to see a bucket there on a string or something.

The clock read that it was five in the morning, and Elphaba turned on the lamp, hoping it wouldn't disturb her roommate. She didn't have the explanation Galinda would demand if she saw this. Elphaba quietly got out of bed and stripped her sheets before heading to the bathroom. She felt lightheaded and feverish and she wondered if a fever was the cause for her sweat drenched sheets and nightgown. Shivering, she quickly hopped into a warm shower and then got dressed, not seeing sense in putting on a fresh nightgown.

"Stupid flu," she muttered under her breath as she sat at her desk, thinking that as long as she was up, she might as well get some work done.

She worked until seven, when Galinda's alarm went off and the blonde stirred.

"I had the weirdest dream," Galinda greeted her with and Elphaba looked over at her.

"Weirder than that dream you had where you were a Butterfly?" Elphaba asked.

Galinda yawned as she nodded. "Yeah. I dreamed that you and Fiyero... I think you were getting married?"

Elphaba chuckled. "Really?"

"Well, you were taking this oath to love and respect each other... it sounded like wedding vows. Anyway, we were all there watching- me, Nessa and Boq; and it was under this huge big oak tree. And then next thing we knew, the tree got blasted with lightning and then it was dead, but you and Fiyero didn't even seem to notice. And then I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror and my hair was _gray, _Elphie!"

She sounded so horrified at the memory that Elphaba couldn't help but laugh.

"You're right, that is a weird dream," she agreed.

"What do you think it means?"

Elphaba shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you should take Dream Analysis 101 next semester," she teased.

Galinda frowned at her. "There's a class on that?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

**AN. Pawpaw ointment _does _fix everything. **

**Do you guys think dreams mean anything?**


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. So I am posting this from Melbourne, where I've been this weekend to see the fantabulous amazeballs Jemma Rix (Aussie Elphaba). Jemma's been doing a bunch of solo shows in Melbourne this week, so we had to go down and support her! And it was amazing, as is everything Jemma does (ok, I've only actually seen her in _Wicked, _but I've heard other stuff and seen things on YouTube. It's all amazing). I love her so much. If there's not a recap on my blog yet, there will be when I get home and write it!**

**Chapter Nine**

For the next week, Elphaba continued to wake up nightly, soaked through to her skin. She had to give up stripping her bed after the first few nights, simply because she didn't have enough changes of sheets. Galinda only noticed the damp sheets once and Elphaba simply said she must have gotten hot during the night because of the amount of blankets on her bed, which Galinda accepted.

Elphaba was still insisting it was the flu, which easily explained her fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss and low fever- which in turn would explain the night sweats. And then the following week, she began to experience some very un-flulike symptoms.

It was a morning like any other. Elphaba awoke early and immediately headed to have a shower. It wasn't until she turned on the water and stripped that she noticed it. Her arms, legs and body was covered in an ugly red rash. Elphaba instinctively stilled as she noticed it, before hesitantly running a finger over her arm to investigate. It didn't itch, it was just _there_, and when she stepped out of the shower and looked in the mirror, she saw that it covered her entire body from her neck down.

The only explanation Elphaba could think of was that it was an allergic reaction, and she racked her brain to think of what she had eaten or been exposed to the night before that might have caused it. She could think of nothing.

She didn't think it was anything too bad, after all, it was only a rash. It was just the sudden appearance that had startled her. But Elphaba had never been more glad that the majority of her clothes covered most of her skin, she was sure if any of her friends saw it, they would want an explanation that Elphaba didn't have.

She was careful to apply moisturiser to the rash before getting dressed, and she was almost apprehensive, hoping her clothing wouldn't irritate the rash.

"Elphie, are you almost done? I need the bathroom."

Elphaba jumped slightly, startled by the knock on the door and hastily made sure the rash was covered before she opened the door.

"You're up early," she greeted Galinda.

"It's seven o'clock," Galinda replied with a confused frown and Elphaba was stunned. She had been in the bathroom for an hour.

"Oh. Sorry."

When the girls got down to the cafeteria for breakfast, they found a crabby Fiyero.

"I hate midterms," he muttered. "Who's bright idea was it to have exams right before holidays?"

"Fiyero, we haven't even had class today yet. Why are you thinking about exams?" Galinda demanded.

Fiyero sighed. "Because I was up half the night writing out the case summaries for our Law class today. Can someone also explain to me why they want to review our notes before the exam, but won't tell us what's_ in _the exam?"

Elphaba laughed. "Because if they make you hand them in, they know you have to write them, which are study materials. It's strategy."

Fiyero grinned at her. "And thank you for not starting that sentence with 'you should have done it before the night before it was due'."

Elphaba shrugged. "Give me a second once the coffee kicks in."

She coughed, and Fiyero frowned in concern. "You've still got that cough?"

Elphaba made a face. "It's nothing, just irritating."

"Are you getting a cold, Fabala?" Nessa asked her sister.

"Feels like it," she shrugged again. "I'm actually _hoping_ for the sneezing and runny nose to kick in already. At least then I feel better."

"Without the ability to breathe through a blocked nose," Boq added dryly and Elphaba grinned at him.

"Exactly."

"Can we pick a more cheery topic, please?" Galinda asked.

Fiyero brightened immediately. "There's twenty-eight days until my birthday," he grinned.

"Which means twenty-five until Lurlinemas!" Galinda gasped, beaming.

"Which means there's only six days until exams," Elphaba pointed out.

Fiyero sighed. "Kill joy," he teased gently.

All their classes at the moment were focused on the coming midterms, teachers going over the subject matter covered throughout the semester, reminding them of the appropriate structure and language for writing an essay and trying to stress how important the exams were. Fiyero found them utterly boring, and although normally Elphaba wasn't one to pass up any extra information that could help her, she tended to agree with him. There was simply nothing stimulating about the classes, which left her even more tired than she already felt.

Two days later, Elphaba and Galinda returned to their room after classes and Elphaba sank onto her bed wearily. The rash, thankfully, had disappeared but she was still waking up hot and sweaty each night.

Galinda and her "posse" as Elphaba referred to Pfannee, Shen-Shen and Milla, had decided to go to the OzDust that night, so Galinda immediately went to her closet to find something to wear. Elphaba looked over as her friend uttered a sound of distaste in her throat.

"What?"

"The laundry didn't iron my lilac dress," Galinda complained. "Now it's all wrinkled and I can't wear it tonight!"

"Hang it in the bathroom and turn the hot water on so the steam will help drop the creases out," Elphaba suggested. "Or wear one of the hundred other dresses you have."

Galinda hurried with her dress into the bathroom, but Elphaba stopped paying attention as a thought struck her.

"_Iron,"_ she whispered.

Galinda heard and frowned. "Iron? What are you talking about, Elphie?"

Elphaba shook her head. "I just realised why I've been so tired. My iron levels are probably low."

"Anaemia?" Galinda questioned.

"I've had it before," Elphaba nodded. "A few years ago. The doctor gave me iron pills and gave me this iron-rich diet to follow and I was fine after a while."

"I thought you had the flu?"

"The flu would _not _make me this tired. But the flu, anaemia and exam stress covers everything," Elphaba replied.

Galinda disappeared into the bathroom, hung up her dress and turned on the hot water, before returning to sit on her bed.

"So, how do you know for sure?"

Elphaba made a face. "Go see the nurse. Get a blood test."

Galinda shuddered delicately. "Needles. _Ugh."_

Elphaba chuckled slightly. That about summed up her reaction too.

"I can't deal with blood," Galinda said flatly.

"I'm alright with blood. It's the part with the needle being shoved into my skin that doesn't thrillify me," Elphaba said dryly.

Galinda actually paled at the thought. Elphaba rose to her feet.

"I'm going make use of the hot water we're wasting to get the creases out of your dress and go have a shower."

Galinda nodded. "OK."

Elphaba just really stood under the hot water, letting it ease her aching muscles; thinking about when she would go see the nurse. Not that she was procrastinating, but she wasn't terribly enthusiastic about the idea; but she also knew Galinda wouldn't let her forget and the last thing she needed was a repeat of what happened when Galinda found out about her birthday. She decided she could probably detour by the nurse's office before lunch the next day and get it over and done with.

"Bathroom's free. I turned the water off, because there's enough steam in there to do the job," Elphaba explained as she left the bathroom.

"Thanks Elphie."

Elphaba sat on her bed and dried her hair a little with the towel to get the excessive water out of it. Then she picked up her brush and quickly ran it through to get any tangles out before she braided it.

Galinda was happily chatting away about her plans for the night as she sat at her vanity to choose which jewellery would go best with her outfit. Elphaba listened absentmindedly as she brushed her hair and then drew it over one shoulder so she could braid it. And then her fingers brushed something else, which made her pause.

Frowning, she carefully ran her fingers over the spot again. On her neck, behind her ear, there was a lump. Cautiously, Elphaba pressed down on the spot. It was hard and a little tender, but not too painful. Had she hit that area somehow? Bumped it in a way that would explain the lump? She couldn't think of anything, so she supposed she must have done it in her sleep. _How _she didn't know, but she couldn't think of anything else. However, a slight fear crept over her. The lump on its own was one thing, but combined with all the other odd things... maybe the flu, anaemia and exam stress _didn't _explain everything.

"Elphie?"

Elphaba blinked and looked at her best friend. "Sorry Glin, did you say something?"

"I asked if you wanted to come with us," Galinda repeated.

Elphaba laughed. "No, thanks."

"Elphie, the girls aren't _that _bad."

"Milla's not," Elphaba acknowledged. "Shen-Shen's an idiot and Pfannee's a bitch."

"_Elphie!"_

"Well, she is!"

Galinda shook her head disapprovingly, but didn't say anything else in defence of her friend- which Elphaba took as a sign she won that particular argument.

The next day when she had a spare moment, Elphaba resigned herself and made a stop by the University's medical office. Elphaba had never been in there before, simply because she rarely admitted she was sick enough to actually warrant a visit to the doctors, whether at Shiz or Munchkinland.

But she knew Nessa had been to the nurse a few times and quite liked her, so that was good enough for her.

The medical office at Shiz was only a small building near the classroom buildings, enough to house the nurse and only three beds for students. That made sense to Elphaba, usually students were either well enough to stay in their own rooms, or sick enough to be needed to transferred to the hospital in town. Otherwise, it was a typical infirmary- white, clinical and the barest furniture.

When Elphaba entered, the room was empty and she paused awkwardly in the doorway.

"Hello?" she called uncertainly.

There were footsteps from behind a doorway Elphaba couldn't see, and then the nurse, a redheaded woman in her late-thirties appeared. She looked surprised to see Elphaba.

"Miss Thropp!"

For a second Elphaba wondered how this woman knew her, and then realised- everyone knew the green girl.

"Hi. Is this a bad time?"

The nurse smiled politely. "Of course not. Come in. I'm Nurse Rapp. How can I help?"

Elphaba was honestly really tempted for a moment to make up a light excuse and leave. But remembering that nagging fear made her stay.

"I've been a bit run down lately," she admitted. "I've had trouble with my iron levels before and I'm pretty sure this is the same."

It wasn't the whole truth, but it was a start. And Elphaba really hoped it was just her iron levels.

Nurse Rapp nodded slowly. "Ok, well why don't you come sit down in my office and we'll have a chat?"

She led Elphaba into her office, which had a desk, two chairs and an exam table. She gestured for Elphaba to sit on the exam table, which she did.

"So, why don't you tell me your symptoms?"

Here, Elphaba couldn't resist but... not _lie_, but downplay the truth. "I'm just tired. Really tired all the time."

The nurse raised an eyebrow sceptically. "Miss Thropp, given my complete lack of file on you, I'd say you're usually pretty healthy- or too stubborn to admit when you're sick. Therefore, I'm guessing there's more to your visit today than _fatigue_."

Elphaba winced slightly and looked down at her hands.

"Yeah," she admitted finally.

Nurse Rapp looked pleased. "Alright. Now, what are your other symptoms?"

"It _is _mostly the fatigue," Elphaba reassured her. "It mostly just feels like the flu. But... there's been other things."

"The flu? So, fever, aches, cough?"

Elphaba nodded. "Yes. I think I've lost a little weight, but I'm not eating much lately. I had a rash a few days ago, but it disappeared."

"What kind of rash?"

"Just a rash," Elphaba shrugged. "I don't know. It wasn't itchy, if that helps. And it didn't last long. Only a day or so."

The nurse made some notes. "OK. Anything else?"

"I've been waking up... drenched," Elphaba confessed reluctantly.

Nurse Rapp looked up from her notes in alarm. "Drenched? In what?"

"Sweat?" Elphaba guessed. "Although it looks like someone tipped a bucket of water on me."

"Anything else?" the nurse questioned, and Elphaba was faintly taken aback by the sudden harsh tone she thought she heard in her voice.

Elphaba showed her the lump on her neck, and then Nurse Rapp asked her more questions, and took her height, weight, temperature and blood pressure before doing the blood test.

Elphaba looked away with a grimace as the needle was inserted into her arm, her fingers curling into a fist as her eyes were squeezed shut tightly. She loathed needles.

"I have to send this into the hospital," she told Elphaba. "But I'll make sure we get the results back to you as soon as possible."

Elphaba nodded, rolling her sleeve down to cover the bandage from the blood test and putting her coat back on.

"That's fine. Thank you."

When Elphaba left the medical office, instead of going to lunch, she went directly to the library. It hadn't escaped her how worried Nurse Rapp had seemed when she'd mentioned the 'night sweats' as she had seen the nurse write in her notes, and she was curious why.

Elphaba had never really had a cause to look up medical books in the library, but she supposed they _must _have a medical section; even though she knew most medical students studied at the CEC where they had access to better equipment and larger hospitals.

_Thank you to Lau for that fun fact,_ she thought, as Fiyero's friend had told her that during their tour of the CEC.

The medicine section, when she found it, wasn't brilliant but she hoped it would be enough to give her the information she needed. She grabbed a book and flicked to the index, scanning the list until she saw,

"Night sweats."

As she turned to the appropriate page, she couldn't hide the growing feeling of dread in her stomach that told her she wouldn't like what she was about to read. And she was proved right, by a tiny paragraph on page 97.

"_While night sweats might be relatively harmless, it can also be a sign of a serious underlying disease. Some of the underlying medical conditions and infections that cause these severe night sweats can be life-threatening and should promptly be investigated by a medical practitioner."_

As she stared at the words, only one thought came to Elphaba's mind. "Crap."

She slammed the book shut, shoved it back on the shelf and grabbed another, repeating the process. Frustratingly, none of the books gave any information on what kinds of "underlying disease" could have night sweats as a symptom. She was tempted to look up some of her other symptoms, but she knew if she did; her brain would convince her she had something far worse than the reality.

The nurse had told her that it should only be a day or two before the results of her blood test came in. All she could do, until then, was wait.


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. Thank you all for your reviews. I know this isn't easy to read- it wasn't easy to write either! **

**I'm posting this from home today, because I've got the next 2 days off school. Why? Tonsillitis and possible glandular fever -_- I'm really hoping it's not. Maybe it's karma... LOL. **

**But I have some very clever readers! To everyone who went and googled Elphaba's symptoms, I'm very impressed! **

**Chapter Ten**

Elphaba didn't tell her friends anything more than she had gotten her iron levels tested. She had debated it, but ultimately decided she didn't want to worry them over what was potentially nothing. Although the ultimate test was when she saw Fiyero.

When she had walked into her first class after lunch, Law, and seen him waiting for her in their usual seats, she had stiffened her resolve and tried to act normal as she joined him.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself," he grinned, leaning over to kiss her lightly. "How'd you go with the nurse?"

Elphaba shrugged. "It was fine. She took blood."

She rolled up her sleeve to show him the bandage, and Fiyero lightly ran his fingers over it.

"Does it hurt?"

"It just feels like a bruise."

"Well, if you want me to kiss it better just say the word," he grinned and Elphaba couldn't help but laugh.

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks."

And then she sobered, again thinking of the possibility that the blood test might reveal something Fiyero couldn't kiss better.

"Yero," she said suddenly, turning to him.

Fiyero turned his head, and his eyes darkened slightly as he took in her facial expression.

"What is it, Fae?"

Elphaba went to speak and then stopped. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him the whole story, but she couldn't bring herself to do so.

_It could still be nothing, _she reminded herself sternly. _It's more likely to be something simple than whatever horrendible disease you're concocting in your imagination. _

Elphaba forced a smile and shook her head. "Nothing."

"Are you sure?" he asked gently.

"I'm sure. I just think I left my pen in my room. Can I borrow your spare?"

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "You and your pens. Don't you usually have a dozen floating around in that bag of yours?"

"Until I clean it out and have to start all over again," Elphaba replied dryly as he handed her the pen.

It was easier to keep it from Boq and Nessa; and slightly harder to keep it from Galinda- not because Elphaba was tempted to reveal all, just because Galinda asked and as they shared a room, it was difficult to escape her questions.

Two days later, Elphaba was in her Literature class when there was a knock on the classroom door. Dr Caesaarwigg stopped the lecture to beckon in a messenger with a note, who entered the room to hand it to her.

"Miss Elphaba," the professor called out to Elphaba.

Puzzled, Elphaba rose to her feet and came forward to accept the note; which, she saw, was actually a note from the medical office.

"_Your test results are in. Please call by at your earliest convenience. Nurse Rapp."_

Elphaba read it a dozen times. Five little words. "Your test results are in." They held so much power, but gave no indication as to whether the news was good or bad. Oblivious to the way all her classmates were staring at her, Elphaba returned to her seat, collected her things and left as Dr Caesaarwigg returned to her discussion on themes in classic Gilikinese literature in preparation for midterms.

Elphaba felt bad about leaving, she never left class before it was finished, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything literature based besides the note still clutched tightly in her hand if she stayed. There was only half an hour until the end of class, but the thought of staying in class for that long was unbearable.

She hurried along to the medical building and slipped inside the door. This time, it wasn't empty, Nurse Rapp was tending to a boy who had his pant leg rolled up to reveal a nasty looking cut on his knee. The nurse was carefully stitching it up, and when she looked over and saw Elphaba, she didn't seem surprised.

"One moment, Miss Elphaba."

The boy looked up and looked surprised to see Elphaba there.

"What happened to _you?"_

Elphaba frowned. "What do you mean?"

He gestured to her vaguely. "What did you do to end up green?"

For the first time that day, Elphaba's lips twitched. The boy thought she was coming to the medical office because she was green?

"Are you _new_ here?" she asked sceptically, wondering if this boy had been living under a rock.

"Yes," he replied.

Elphaba nodded coolly. "Right. Well, since obviously no one gave you the memo, let me fill you in. I'm the resident green girl, also known as 'The Artichoke'. Before you ask, I'm not seasick, yes I've always been green and no, I didn't eat grass as a child."

Her tone was icy and the boy was gaping at her so much he didn't even notice Nurse Rapp finishing stitching his knee.

"You're finished, Mister Loghan. Watch out for ice patches next time, and come see me in a week to get the stitches out. Be careful not to get them wet," the nurse warned him.

The boy slowly got off the bed he'd been sitting on and left, carefully edging past Elphaba and her glare as he did so. Nurse Rapp ignored all of this.

"Miss Elphaba, come have a seat in my office."

Elphaba followed her into her office and sat down in the chair offered to her.

"So, what did the blood test say?" she asked immediately, not beating around the bush.

Nurse Rapp could understand that, and didn't procrastinate the news.

"Elphaba, I sent your blood test and your file to the town hospital. Your blood test showed a low red blood cell count, and elevated white cell count."

Elphaba blinked. That meant nothing to her.

"Which means?"

"It could be nothing. But, I spoke to a doctor at the hospital, a Dr Crowe. Between your blood work and the note I made of the lump on your neck, he was concerned. He'd like you to go in tomorrow for more tests."

"_Tomorrow?" _Elphaba repeated, shocked. "But... I have class. Can't it wait until the weekend?"

"It's really best that we know exactly what we're dealing with as soon as possible," Nurse Rapp replied gently.

"_We?" _Elphaba raised an eyebrow.

The nurse handed her a sheet of paper. "Here's the information about the doctor and where to find his office. He also suggested that you might want to bring someone for moral support," she added.

Elphaba stared at the paper and tightened her lips, nodding faintly. _For moral support_. That didn't really fill her with confidence that these tests weren't going to reveal anything terrible. They were clearly expecting the worst- and telling her to do the same. Now, Elphaba wasn't the most optimistic person in Oz, pessimism seemed to be her more natural state of mind. But right now, she felt like she was about to explode as she tried to see a more positive outlook on this situation.

"What kind of tests will they be doing?" Elphaba asked finally.

"I'm not really sure," she replied, but Elphaba thought she was lying. "I'm sure they'll explain them all to you. Once they've reached a diagnosis, they'll more than likely do other tests to get more information on your condition."

"Can't they do it all at once?" Elphaba asked, thinking that would be more practical.

The nurse smiled slightly. "They could, but they won't want to put you through the tests unless absolutely necessary," she explained.

Elphaba chuckled humourlessly. That told her these tests weren't going to be little needle pricks like the blood test. No, these tests would hurt.

"Great. That's very considerate of them, I suppose," she muttered.

"So, you'll be at the appointment?"

Elphaba hesitated for just a moment before nodding. "Yes."

The nurse looked pleased. "Good."

Elphaba's head was whirling. She wasn't sure what to make of the fact that they weren't telling her what they suspected she had. It was just tests. For the first time, Elphaba wished she had an inclination to study more sciences, then she might know something. Obviously there was more to it than her blood test, Nurse Rapp had said the doctor was concerned about the lump in her neck.

Without even thinking, Elphaba raised a hand to brush the lump. She didn't know how long it had been there, or what it was, or even if there were others.

"Elphaba, are you alright?" Nurse Rapp asked kindly, and Elphaba almost flinched at the pity she heard in her tone.

"I'm fine. I'm late, I should go," she said, avoiding her gaze and standing up.

She left the medical unit and began walking. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she felt a lot better about the idea of walking than she did about the idea of sitting still right now. At least if she kept moving, her brain was forced to concentrate on putting one foot before the other. If she stopped moving, her brain had nothing else to think on than the conversation in Nurse Rapp's office.

Not that it helped much, the scene was still on replay in her mind. _Bring a friend for moral support,_ had been the suggestion. Elphaba's first instinct was to dismiss that idea immediately. She was a grown woman and had been independent since she was a child, she didn't need anyone to hold her hand.

But need and want were two very different things. Elphaba could admit- to herself at least, that she was scared. Not of the tests themselves, but of what they might reveal and what Nurse Rapp wasn't telling her. But even if she _did _want to bring someone with her, who would she ask? Nessa? Fiyero? Galinda? They were the most logical choices, but the idea of having to sit one of them- or all of them- down and explain what had been going on and what she hadn't told them... Elphaba grimaced at the image. They would be hurt that she hadn't said anything before, and they would be scared. All of them would be just as scared as she was.

And Elphaba's natural instinct was to protect them from that fear. She had spent so much time caring for Nessa, being strong when her sister wasn't, that it was just habit now. Elphaba wasn't sure if she could have one of them there with her and have to comfort them before she had even come to term with the news herself.

She was so lost in thought that when a hand touched her elbow, she jumped a mile and turned on the spot so fast she scared Boq.

"Oz, you almost gave me a heart attack!" she gasped, pressing one hand to her chest.

Boq looked just as alarmed as she felt. "Sorry," he apologised. "I did call out to you, _twice. _Didn't you hear me?"

Elphaba shook her head. "No, sorry... I was thinking," she said wearily. "What's up?"

"I was just leaving class when I saw you," Boq explained.

Elphaba was slightly taken aback. Had that much time passed already?

"Oh. Right."

Boq frowned. "Elphaba, are you okay? You're acting...odd."

Elphaba managed a half-smile. "I'm fine, thanks. I should be going..."

Then she paused. She had absolutely no memory of what class she had next. Boq was still frowning at her worriedly, and then suddenly, she had an idea.

"Boq, I need a favour," she said suddenly.

"Sure," Boq replied easily.

Elphaba opened her mouth and then hesitated, not sure where to start. She glanced around, and then gestured for the Munchkin to follow her over to a bench.

"I got the results of my blood test back," she began.

"And is it anaemia?" Boq asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "They want me to go to the hospital tomorrow for more tests."

Boq's eyes widened. "Oh. Is that bad?" he asked uncertainly.

"Nurse Rapp wouldn't actually say, but I'm guessing yes. Apparently, the doctor suggested I bring a friend for moral support."

It didn't take Boq long to catch on. "And you're asking me? Why?"

"We're friends, aren't we?" Elphaba answered.

"Yes, of course. But not _close _friends. Surely-"

"Boq, think who my other choices are," Elphaba cut him off.

He didn't have to think hard. "Galinda, Nessa and Fiyero," he replied immediately. And then understanding dawned. "Your best friend, sister and boyfriend."

Elphaba nodded. "Exactly. I... I don't know if I can stand telling them," she admitted softly. "Not until I have all the information."

Boq could understand that. "Of course. Yeah, of course I'll come with you. Tomorrow, you said?"

Elphaba felt a wave of affection for her friend. "Yes," she said gratefully. "I know it means missing classes-"

"It's fine. We're not exactly doing anything important," Boq shrugged. "So, um... how are you going to get out of it without the others realising?"

Elphaba grimaced. "I hadn't gotten to that part yet. I'm still trying to get my head around it."

Boq wasn't sure what to say. "I'm sorry, Elphaba," he said finally.

Elphaba smiled sadly. "I don't suppose it's great odds that this could turn out to be nothing."

"Math was never my strong point," he replied lightly, but then cringed inwardly.

"Sor-"

"Boq, _please _don't tell me you're sorry," Elphaba interrupted. "It's only the second time I've heard that and I already hate it."

She hated the note of pity she could hear in his voice.

Boq hesitated. "Well, what do you want me to say?"

"Tell me an excuse to get out of class tomorrow without making anyone suspicious?"

Boq pondered that for a moment, then his face brightened. "I've got an idea. Do you remember what Dr Ledibelle told us during our last Philosophy class?"

Elphaba frowned. "That the author of our textbook is coming to town?"

Boq nodded. "Yeah, it's tomorrow and he's doing that signing and reading at the bookstore in town."

"To which absolutely no one in our group is going to want to attend," Elphaba realised. "That's perfect, Boq. How did you think of that?"

"Well, I was trying to decide whether to go or not," he admitted. "But I wasn't that fussed," he hastily added.

Elphaba smiled sceptically. "Well, thanks."

As they had suspected, when Boq mentioned over dinner that night that he and Elphaba were thinking of skipping class to go into town and listen to a philosophy lecture by the author of their textbook, none of the others were interested.

"But feel free to bring me back a present," Fiyero grinned.

"Like a signed copy of the book?" Elphaba asked innocently and laughed at the look on his face.

But Galinda's response was the best. "Elphie, we really need to work on your idea of fun," she sighed.

Elphaba just rolled her eyes.

She was trying so hard to act normal and not give anything away. It had been hard the past two days as she waited for the results, but the more she thought about what awaited her the next day, the more she felt positively sick to her stomach.

She barely slept that night and couldn't even stomach breakfast, just sat at their usual table in the cafeteria nursing a cup of tea.

"Well, we who are actually going to class should head off, so we're not late," Nessa spoke over their conversations as she checked the time.

Fiyero shook his head. "I'm going to class and Elphaba Thropp isn't. What's wrong with this picture?"

"Um, Fiyero she's going to see some old guy talk about _philosophy_," Galinda reminded him and Fiyero considered that.

"Yeah, I think I'd rather go to Political Science," he chuckled.

Elphaba smiled. "Take notes for me?"

"Take notes on revision that you already know backwards and forwards? Sure," he laughed as they group headed outside.

"At least then I won't feel pressure for them to be any good."

He turned to Elphaba and kissed her lightly. "Have fun with your boring old guy."

She grinned. "You too," she replied and Fiyero laughed, for their Political Science teacher, Dr Futzbon was rather old and boring- and in fact, a guy.

"I love you," she added softly.

Fiyero's eyes creased with confusion for the smallest second before he smiled and kissed her again. "I love you too, Fae."

He, Galinda and Nessa headed off to their respective classes and Boq and Elphaba headed for the gate that would lead them to town.

"Are you up for walking?" he asked her.

"I'm fine," Elphaba replied, slightly more harsh than she intended.

Forcing herself to soften her tone, she glanced sideways and frowned. "What's in the bag?"

Boq grinned sheepishly. "Well, I figured I'd be hanging out in the waiting room while you get your tests done, so I brought some books so I can study."

Boq kept a steady, nervous chatter- well, it was more like a rambling, all the way into town and the hospital. He clearly intended to calm Elphaba's nerves, and although it didn't help in the slightest, Elphaba appreciated his efforts.

"Excuse me, I have an appointment to see Dr Crowe?" Elphaba addressed the receptionist at the front desk when they arrived at the hospital.

The receptionist looked up, blinked and then stammered out, "N-name?"

"Elphaba Thropp."

The woman checked a book on her desk and then nodded. "Third floor. Take a left and it's the sixth office on the right."

Elphaba thanked her and she and Boq made their way up to the third floor. The hospital was much like the medical office at Shiz- white and little furnishings. Except the hospital, Elphaba noted, had more of that particular smell that hospitals always seemed to have. She hated it.

"I hate hospitals," she muttered.

Boq looked surprised. "Really? Why?"

"The smell, mostly. It reminds me of when Nessa was born."

Boq couldn't understand why that would bother her so much, until he recalled. Nessa had been born, resulting in their mother's death.

"Weren't you like _three_ when Nessa was born?"

"Three and a half."

"How much do you remember?"

"Enough," she answered flatly, and that was all she would say.

They found that the doctor's office was at the end of the hall, conveniently outside a small waiting room. Elphaba turned to Boq before she could knock.

"Why don't you just wait here?" she suggested.

Boq hesitated and she managed a smile. "I'm a big girl, Boq. And you don't want to listen to a bunch of doctor talk and watch me get tests done."

Boq hesitated, but then realised how much of her pride Elphaba had already given up asking him to come with her.

"Alright," he agreed. "But if you need me, just yell," he told her sternly.

Elphaba nodded, and as Boq headed towards the waiting room, Elphaba took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

**AN. Just so everyone knows, I'm not purposefully dragging this out. Remember at the beginning and all through _40 Weeks _how I kept saying this story has a life/mind of it's own? Well, this is what I meant. I'd be writing and then realise a chapter was 15 pages long, so I should probably stop there! I'm not trying to be cruel.**

**And this review was for chapter 9, and I had to share it:**

**"****Oh my god I just googled the dream meaning that Galinda had. ****To see your hair turning gray foretells illness in the family of some relative ****or friend; ****Blasted oak indicates sudden shocking surprise; ****If you see others take an oath you will receive bad news from a friend"**


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. So the good news is I don't have glandular fever. Yay! So it's just the tonsillitis. I'm feeling a lot better than I was on Monday/Tuesday, but I'm still off work until tomorrow. Seriously, I walked to the mailbox and back and that was exhausting. Ironically, Friday is my heaviest teaching load of the week, so it'll kill me but oh well. **

**I was surprised by how many people liked Loghan, with his like 1 line! Haha. Also, I have to mention Kelly in this AN because she cried when she read this chapter, when I never expected her too. **

**Chapter Eleven**

Dr Crowe was a surprisingly tall, thin man. Elphaba guessed he had to be in his late forties, but he looked much younger. He wore wire rimmed spectacles, which he took off to greet Elphaba.

"Miss Thropp, I presume?"

"Yes," Elphaba nodded, stepping into the room.

Dr Crowe nodded. "Please, have a seat."

Elphaba sat stiffly in the offered chair, her whole body tense.

At first she thought it was odd that Dr Crowe didn't seem surprised or perturbed by her skin, but then figured Nurse Rapp must have mentioned it in her file. Either that or news of the green girl had spread further than she'd thought.

"I'm not sure how much Nurse Rapp told you-"

"She said there was something off about my blood test and you were concerned about the lump on my neck," Elphaba interrupted.

Dr Crowe nodded. "Yes. So the first thing I want to do today is take some more blood and give you a full check up. Ok?"

Elphaba nodded.

Dr Crowe had an exam room adjacent to his office, and it was there that Dr Crowe and a nurse took Elphaba.

"How are you with blood tests?" the nurse asked her.

"Isn't that a bit like asking someone how they are with getting your eyes gauged out?" Elphaba asked dryly.

The nurse laughed. "It's not _that _painful."

"It doesn't exactly tickle, either," Elphaba retorted.

"I'll grant you that," the nurse conceded with a smile. "I'll be as quick as I can, I promise."

She drew the blood, and Elphaba winced as the needle was pushed into her skin, closing her eyes and forcing herself to take deep, even breaths.

"All done!" the nurse chirped as she deftly removed the needle and placed a bandage over the spot.

She was so chipper she reminded Elphaba of Galinda and she nodded in response with a surge of guilt, half wishing her best friend was here with her, but the other half of her was glad she wasn't.

Dr Crowe asked her what felt like a million questions about her medical history, which Elphaba knew little beyond her own. It was hardly something Frex discussed with her. Then he asked about her symptoms and Elphaba told him everything she could think of that might be relevant, dating back as far as their Emerald City visit.

"Alright, now I want to give you a complete physical exam," Dr Crowe informed her.

Elphaba nodded reluctantly. She wasn't looking forward to this, she hated revealing more skin than she had to. The nurse was clearly planning to stay, which made it slightly less uncomfortable and Elphaba sat there incredibly self-conscious as she was poked, prodded and stared at, sitting on an examination table in her underwear.

"Have you had any tingling in your arms and legs? Feeling bloated? Dizziness? Swollen arms or legs?"

Elphaba shook her head. "No. Not that I've noticed."

Dr Crowe spent a long time examining the lump on her neck, and also closely examining her underarms, neck, chest and groin area.

"Have you noticed this before?" he asked eventually, looking up at her.

Elphaba was confused. Dr Crowe was gently pressing on a spot under her arm, and she noticed that there was a small lump underneath his finger.

"N-no," she stammered. "I didn't know that was there."

"Hmm," Dr Crowe said, and Elphaba couldn't decipher his tone.

Then he straightened up and looked at her over his glasses. "Miss Elphaba, I want to do an excisional biopsy of the two lumps we found."

"An excisional biopsy?" Elphaba repeated.

"Yes. That means we give you a local anaesthetic and just cut the lumps out to examine under the microscope."

Elphaba was stunned. "You can do that now? Here? Don't I have to be admitted for that?"

Dr Crowe smiled. "You would if we had to give you a general anaesthetic or if what we wanted to biopsy was deep beneath the skin, but these won't require that."

"And once you do the biopsy, that will tell you what I have?"

"It will confirm my suspicions, yes," Dr Crowe nodded.

Elphaba was silent, trying to take it all in. "How long?"

"I can rush the labs and have them back in a few hours," he promised.

Elphaba took a shaky breath and nodded. "Ok, then."

The nurse handed her a paper gown to put on and once she was changed, they had her lie down on the table, with her arm out to the side.

As she lay there, watching Dr Crowe and the nurse move around the room in preparation, Elphaba's stomach was doing somersaults. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to stare up at the ceiling and take deep breaths. It was mostly an apprehensive feeling, and as she lay there, she had the sudden strong impulse to grab on to something. She felt like a small child who had lost their security blanket or something. And as embarrassing as it was, the thought of having something solid to grab onto was reassuring.

"Excuse me," she addressed the nurse.

"Yes?"

"Um... can- can people be in here? Besides us, I mean?"

Understanding dawned in the nurse's eyes. "Do you have a family member with you?"

Elphaba shook her head. "No, just a friend. He's in the waiting room."

The nurse nodded. "I'll get him for you."

Elphaba managed a weak smile. "Thanks."

She felt a bit silly for even asking, but Boq didn't look bothered when he followed the nurse into the room a few moments later.

"Hey."

"Hi," she smiled. "Welcome to the party. I thought it'd be nice to see a friendly face," she said, almost apologetically.

Boq smiled back. "Sure."

"Alright Elphaba, are you ready?" Dr Crowe asked.

Elphaba nodded faintly.

Boq moved over to stand by the side of Elphaba that _wasn't _about to be cut open, but he was unprepared for when Dr Crowe brought over the needle that contained the local anaesthetic. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly.

"We're going to do your underarm first," the nurse told her, and Elphaba nodded.

She looked away as Dr Crowe moved forward with the needle, and she was surprised as Boq abruptly grabbed her hand.

Boq looked surprised too, as though he hadn't planned to do it, but Elphaba didn't remove her hand. She actually found it comforting, although she partly wished that it was Fiyero, Nessa or Galinda holding her hand.

She felt the pinch of the needle as it entered her skin and she involuntarily clutched Boq's hand tighter. There came a slight sensation of burning that spread outward which took a few moments before it faded somewhat.

"Can you feel that?" Dr Crowe asked her.

Elphaba felt nothing. "No."

"Good."

Elphaba kept her eyes trained on the other side of the room, and a few moments later, she felt an odd feeling. It wasn't pain, it was more like a feeling of pressure, as though someone was drawing on her with a pen and pressing hard against the skin. It was at least five minutes before the doctor stepped aside and the nurse stepped in to clean and dress the incision.

The lump on her neck was on the same side as the lump on her underarm had been, and Elphaba wasn't sure whether she was more relaxed about the second incision or not. She knew kind of what to expect this time, but it was still an uncomfortable and tension-filled process.

This time, when the local anaesthetic was delivered, the burning feeling seemed more intense and took longer to lessen. The pressure feeling, which Elphaba now realised was the scalpel cutting open her skin, seemed more intense too; and she clutched Boq's hand so tight she broke the skin.

"Sorry," she apologised but Boq waved it off.

"It's fine."

"The anaesthesia is going to wear off in about half an hour," the nurse warned her as she dressed the cut on her neck.

"It's going to be painful."

That seemed a bit obvious to Elphaba, but she didn't say so.

"When will I find out the results?" Elphaba asked.

"Dr Crowe is going to take them to the lab immediately to analyse them personally, so hopefully it should be within a few hours."

Elphaba felt a touch of relief at that knowledge. She couldn't imagine having to wait much longer to learn the truth, and even worse, keeping the secret from Galinda, Fiyero and Nessa. But at the same time, she felt cold. The "few hours" stretched out before her, and it felt like an eternity.

"What do we do until then?" she asked, feeling slightly helpless.

"We could actually go to the reading at the bookshop?" Boq suggested.

Elphaba liked that idea. Then they wouldn't actually be lying. She looked at Dr Crowe.

"Can I leave and come back?" she asked him.

"I don't see why not," Dr Crowe nodded.

Boq left the room so that Elphaba could get dressed again, which she had to do carefully when considering the incisions on her neck and underarm.

"If it starts to be too painful or bleed a lot, come back," the nurse instructed her, handing her two aspirin she could take for the pain if needed.

It didn't really hurt yet, it was more like a dull ache but it still felt mostly numb. She was sure though, that once the anaesthetic wore off, it would definitely hurt.

"How are you doing?" Boq asked her as she met him in the waiting room.

Elphaba was quiet. "I'm just trying not to think about it," she said finally. "I think not knowing is worse, but I'm not so sure I want to know."

"Did they tell you what they're testing for?"

Elphaba's mouth tightened. "No. I don't understand why. What could be so bad that they won't tell me?"

She'd stopped walking and Boq tried to come up with an excuse.

"Well, maybe they don't want to worry you over nothing," Boq tried to console her.

"Well, maybe that's not their decision to make," Elphaba retorted.

She turned on her heel and re-entered the office, Boq following a step behind.

"I want to know what you're testing me for," she said bluntly.

Dr Crowe looked surprised. "Miss Thropp, we're going to be looking at a variety of-"

"No. You said you had a suspicion. What is it?"

Dr Crowe paused for a moment and then sighed. "Your symptoms match the typical signs of Hodgkin's Lymphoma."

Elphaba felt the blood drain from her face and she went completely still. Hodgkin's lymphoma. _Cancer._

"Oh."

It was the only sound she could force her throat to say.

"It's not definite yet," Dr Crowe was hasty to reassure her. "It could be something else. Let's just wait for the biopsy results, shall we?"

Elphaba nodded mutely, and then turned and left the room. Her feet carried her aimlessly from the office, her head whirling.

"Elphaba?"

She jumped, and as she turned to Boq, she couldn't help but laugh sheepishly.

"Wow. Déjà vu. You must be really sick of me jumping a mile every time you talk to me these days."

Boq had _that_ look on his face. "Elphaba-"

"Come on, we'll be late to the reading," she interrupted, turning away and striding away, slamming the button for the elevator.

Boq said nothing as he joined her, but Elphaba avoided his gaze. She didn't want to have to see the pity in his eyes, she didn't want to have to accept his condolences for news which hadn't been confirmed yet; although in an instant, it was ten times harder for Elphaba to maintain her mantra and hope that this could still be nothing.

The silent word hung in the air around them. CANCER. You didn't have to have any medical knowledge to know it was hardly an insignificant matter. Elphaba knew what it was- a potential death sentence. Elphaba had only ever known one person who had had cancer before; Kieva, the woman who had tutored Elphaba and Nessarose in their youth after Frex had decided between Elphaba's skin and Nessa's disability, they couldn't attend regular school.

She and Elphaba had never been especially close, Kieva had been as wary of the green girl as any other Munchkin, and Elphaba at that age, was particularly resentful of anyone who treated her as though she had leprosy or some horrendible contagious disease. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer when Elphaba was eleven and had only worked for them a few months after that. Elphaba remembered how she had worn a wig when she lost her hair, and once- the only time Elphaba had dared to ask her about it, she had described the fight as a war.

_Which_, Elphaba thought with a shudder, _she had lost_. Kieva had died two years later when the disease had spread through her entire body. Frex had taken his daughters to call on her about two weeks before she died, and Elphaba would never forget the sight of her lying in bed, too weak to even talk or eat. She had just been waiting to die.

Elphaba was pretty sure Boq had known her too, and wondered if her friend was thinking of that.

"How am I going to tell them?" she asked finally, her voice quiet as the elevator made its way down.

Boq didn't know what to tell her, and he certainly didn't envy her the task. Nessa, Galinda and Fiyero... her sister, best friend and boyfriend. The three closest people in Elphaba's life, and he knew it would destroy them all to hear it.

"Why don't we wait until the results come back?" he said instead.

"Maybe there's a book in the bookstore. _A Beginner's Guide to Telling People You're Dying_," she said dryly, with a wry smile.

She was stunned when Boq gripped her upper arm tightly and turned to her, tight lines around his mouth.

"Well for starters, don't say _that," _he said fiercely. "You're not dying, Elphaba. We don't even know for sure-"

"You heard the doctor, I have all the symptoms. The biopsy is just a formality," Elphaba shot back.

"That doesn't mean you're dying," he said firmly. "You're the most stubborn person I know, and I don't believe you're just going to lie down and let this break you. You're going to fight, and you'll win."

Elphaba paused for a moment. "You don't know that for sure, although I appreciate the confidence," Elphaba replied softly.

"Are you going to tell them- Nessa, Galinda, Fiyero... are you _really_ going to tell them that you have this disease and you're going to let it dictate your life? That you're just going to give up and let it do to you what it did to Miss Kieva?"

_Their tutor, he _did_ remember her, _Elphaba thought with wide eyes.

And then she thought about what he was saying. She was still silent when the elevator reached the lobby and they left the hospital.

"No," she said finally, looking over at him. "I'm not."

Boq grinned, to her surprise. "Yeah, I didn't think so. You just needed reminding."

Elphaba didn't know what to say. "Why are you doing this? Like you said, we're not _close_ friends."

Boq shrugged. "We _are _friends. Good friends, even if we're not that close, aren't we? Besides... I'm close friends with Fiyero, your boyfriend. I dated your sister, and even though it didn't work out, I did care for her and we're still friends."

"And you're in love with Galinda," Elphaba said before he could and Boq reddened.

"My point is that even if we're not that close, I care for you and everyone else you care for. You needed someone to come with you, and I know why it couldn't be anyone else. So, I'm here."

Elphaba smiled at his explanation. "Well, thank you," she said sincerely. "I kept thinking that I could do this on my own, but I really don't know if I could have. And the others... I love them all, but I couldn't ask them to do this," she admitted.

"They're all going to take it hard," Boq said knowingly. "Not that it was easy for me," he added hastily, but Elphaba just chuckled.

"I know. If it was them here... I don't know whether I'd fall apart or whether I wouldn't because I'd be too busy comforting them before I'd gotten all the information and processed it."

She laughed slightly with a sigh. "They're going to be so mad I kept it from them."

"Yes," Boq acknowledged. "But they'll understand why you did."

Elphaba hoped so.

**AN. I'm taking a bit of liberty with the time frame of the tests and all that. Just like medical shows on TV. Nothing too crazy.**

**I'm sorry! So sorry. I promise this is the absolute last chapter before you find out 100% positively what she has.**

**Also, last night I learned I should never watched reality TV before bed. Seriously, I dreamed of an Ozian 'The Bachelor' last night. It was such a weird dream. And then it's bad, because any time I have a dream like that and I remember it, I then spend the day wondering if it would actually work as a fic. Because I don't have enough to write already. -_-**


	12. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**Chapter Twelve**

Elphaba took in absolutely nothing of the philosophy reading and lecture afterwards. It was as though she had left her mind back in the hospital, and it was waiting for her in the exact spot she'd been standing in Dr Crowe's office as the words "Hodgkin's lymphoma" had left his lips. Although she enough state of mind to notice that he had not actually said 'the C-word', even though they both knew what it was.

Maybe that was a hint to remember when it came time to tell the others, she thought. Even though she _knew _that it was cancer, by using the name of the disease instead of the category it fell under; it had sounded different. If Dr Crowe had simply replied "we think you have cancer", Elphaba might have reacted differently. Maybe. Probably not.

It had been only a short while into the reading that Elphaba became aware of the growing ache in her neck and underarm, and surmised that the local anaesthetic was wearing off. That was confirmed as the pain grew worse, not to the point of agony, but to the point where Elphaba readily took the aspirin the nurse had given her and when they made to leave the bookstore, Elphaba couldn't put her scarf on because it was simply too painful to have anything touching that area of her neck. She even had to make sure her braid sat on the opposite shoulder, because she couldn't even lift her arm to put her hair up without her underarm incision protesting and... well, she didn't trust Boq to do it.

"Do you want to go back to the hospital?" Boq asked her, noticing how pale she was.

Elphaba nodded. "Yeah, we'll just hang in the waiting room and read six month old copies of _OzBeat Magazine _until the results are in. Sounds like a blast, right?"

Boq grinned.

In reality, Boq studied while Elphaba alternated between flicking through old copies of _OzBeat _aimlessly and staring at the wall opposite. Either way, every time someone came near them, she went stiff.

At some stage Boq got them food from the cafeteria, but Elphaba couldn't eat hers. Her stomach felt like it was made of lead, and she was sure if she ate something, she'd throw up. She couldn't concentrate on anything, she just stared at the clock on the wall, watching the second hand move around slowly. It took Elphaba a moment to realise she was unconsciously regulating her breathing by the movement of the second hand.

_Tick, Tick, Tick, breathe in. Tick, Tick, Tick, breathe out_.

It gave her something to focus on, and gave her the illusion of being calm.

"Miss Thropp?"

Some hours later, although for all her staring at the clock Elphaba couldn't tell you the time or how long they'd been sitting there; a nurse- a different nurse than the one who had been in Dr Crowe's office with her that morning, approached her. Elphaba tore her eyes away, and her stomach tightened.

"Yes," she replied, her voice slightly hoarse.

"Dr Crowe is ready for you now. He said your friend is welcome to come too."

Elphaba nodded faintly. "Thank you."

She glanced over at Boq, who gave her a reassuring nod.

Dr Crowe offered them seats opposite his desk in his office and then sat down. His face told Elphaba everything.

"You were right."

"Yes," he nodded gravely.

"Congratulotions," Elphaba couldn't help but reply, a note of sarcasm in her voice.

Dr Crowe ignored that. "Your biopsy did confirm my suspicions of Hodgkin's lymphoma. I'm very sorry, Miss Elphaba."

Elphaba didn't want his condolences. "What happens now?"

The doctor cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. "I want to do some more tests so we can determine how far the cancer has spread and what stage we're in. This will allow us to determine the best treatment course."

"What kind of tests?"

"Chest x-rays, a bone marrow biopsy, CT scan, lymphangiogram, gallium scan..." Dr Crowe stopped at Elphaba's overwhelmed face and smiled gently.

"I know it sounds confusifying, but I will explain every test, what it involves and what it does when the time comes," he promised.

"And- and you want to do these now?" Elphaba asked.

Dr Crowe shook his head. "No, they'll be scattered throughout the next week or so."

Elphaba gaped. "But... we have exams! Mid-terms start on Monday! And then it's Lurlinemas."

"Elphaba," he said firmly. "These tests and your health must take priority. Until we know exactly what stage we're dealing with, we won't know the best way to treat it. And this is something we can't delay."

Elphaba just stared at him, wanting to protest but not sure what to say. She was aware of feeling very cold all of a sudden.

"But-" she managed to get out.

"Elphaba," Boq spoke quietly into the silence.

She turned to him, her eyes wide. He just met her gaze, and eventually Elphaba gave in and nodded slowly.

"OK," she whispered.

In a daze, Elphaba sat there as Dr Crowe made appointments for her tests over the next week and a half. He'd already written a letter for her to give to Madame Morrible, explaining everything so she would be excused from exams.

She couldn't stop thinking. Suddenly, she was facing all these problems she hadn't even considered until now. She was supposed to sit for her Literature midterm on Monday morning, which apparently would now consist of a chest x-ray and bone marrow biopsy. She was supposed to be going to the Vinkus with Fiyero for Lurlinemas to meet his parents; and would now be spending the holidays in and out of the hospital. She would have to write to her father, for the simple fact that he would be needed to pay her medical bills, more than that she decided he had to know. And then there was the matter of...

"Who do I tell first?"

Boq turned to her silently. They were the first words Elphaba had spoken since leaving the hospital, a fistful of brochures and information on Hodgkin's lymphoma in her bag.

"You could tell them all at once?" he suggested, but Elphaba immediately shook her head.

"No. They deserve to hear it from me in private."

Boq nodded in understanding and thought about that for a few minutes.

"I'd tell Nessa first. She _is _family."

"Yeah... that makes sense."

When they finally reached Shiz, Elphaba turned to him. "Can you find Galinda and Fiyero for me? Just let them know I need to talk to them privately and ask them to... stay in one spot?"

Boq nodded. "I'll tell them each to wait in their rooms."

"Thanks," Elphaba said. "Really, Boq- for everything. Thank you."

The Munchkin smiled. "No worries. That's what friends are for, right?"

It was late afternoon, so Elphaba guessed her sister would be in her room. When she knocked on the door to Madame Morrible's compartment, the Headshizstress answered the door.

"Miss Elphaba. Are you looking for your sister?"

"Yes, Madame. Is she in?"

"I believe she's studying."

The look on her face clearly suggested Morrible believed Elphaba should be doing the same thing, so Elphaba slowly pulled the letter from Dr Crowe out of her bag.

"I just need to talk to my sister about a personal issue. This letter will explain everything."

Ignoring Morrible's stunned look, Elphaba brushed past her and headed to Nessa's room. When she entered, Nessa looked up from her books and smiled.

"Hi, Fabala. How was the lecture?"

"I don't remember," Elphaba admitted, sitting on the edge of her sister's bed. "Nessie, I need to tell you something."

Nessa wheeled her chair backwards from the desk and around to face her sister, and she drew in her breath sharply.

"Elphaba! What did you do to your neck?!"

Elphaba had almost forgotten about the bandage on her neck, and she gently touched the area with her fingers, grimacing slightly.

"It's not that bad, it's just a cut. Listen, Nessa..."

Elphaba looked at her little sister, who she had cared for her entire life. For so long it had been her job to protect Nessa and keep her happy, and she felt awful that in one moment, she had to tell her news that would devastrate her.

Elphaba smiled slightly and took her sister's hands in hers and Nessa drew in her breath sharply.

"Elphaba, your hands are freezing! And you're trembling! Are you okay?"

Elphaba didn't answer. Because she wasn't ok. And she couldn't stop trembling.

"Nessa, I've always tried to look out for you and take care of you. I'm sorry if I haven't always done the best job of that," she apologised.

"And if there's something I've done or haven't done that you hated me for, I was just trying to protect you."

Nessa's brow creased with worry. "Hate you? I've never hated you. Elphaba, what are you talking about?"

Elphaba swallowed. "I haven't been completely honest with you lately. With any of you. And I did that because I didn't want you to worry- not if there was nothing to worry about. But now... Nessa, I haven't been feeling well for a while now. And I didn't want to admit it- to myself or anyone else."

"You mean the anaemia? Or the flu?" Nessa frowned.

Elphaba wished it was only that. "When I got the blood test at the beginning of the week to test for anaemia, they noticed something."

Nessa's mouth widened into a small O, and she just stared at her sister, searching for what to say. "Something... is it something bad?" she asked, although she wasn't hopeful that it was something good.

Elphaba nodded. "They had me go to the hospital today for more tests. The cut... it's from a biopsy of my lymph nodes. There was a lump there."

Nessa's eyes were already filling with tears. "What- what do you have?" she asked finally.

Elphaba tightened her grip on her sister's hands. "It's called Hodgkin's lymphoma," she answered, her voice shaking slightly. "It's a type of cancer, Nessa."

Nessa was very pale as she stared at Elphaba.

"How bad is it?" she whispered.

"I don't know yet. I have to get more tests next week," Elphaba replied carefully. She was watching her sister closely, waiting for her to react as she tried to process what she had just heard.

Nessa looked slightly sick and was taking deep, steady breaths, and no one said anything for a long time.

"What can I do?" Nessa eventually asked, her voice trembling. "There has to be something I can do to... to help."

Elphaba didn't know if there was anything she _could _do, but Nessa sounded almost desperate. Then she had an idea.

"When you go home for Lurlinemas, could you tell Father?" she asked.

Nessa looked horrified. "Elphaba, he should know before then!" she exclaimed. "Why don't you write to him?"

"And say what? _'Dear Father, I have cancer. From Elphaba'? _He'll be so overcome with joy that he won't have to worry about the green freak any more. He might not even bother paying my medical bills, it would be one less hassle for him."

She spoke candidly, without thinking really and with only a touch of bitterness in her tone. But it was enough to send Nessa over the edge, and she broke down in tears.

Elphaba was immediately horrified at herself, and wrapped her arms around her sister.

"Nessa, I'm sorry," she apologised, trying to soothe her sister.

She lay her head on top of her sister's, gently stroking her hair.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have joked about that," she said as Nessa sobbed and clung to her.

The position she was in caused a little discomfort to the area under her arm, but Elphaba didn't say anything or try and move. Eventually Nessa's tears ran out, and she was left just sniffling.

"You shouldn't joke about that. It's not funny."

"I know," Elphaba replied softly.

She pulled away and handed Nessa a tissue. "Dry your eyes, Nessie."

Nessa took it and wiped her eyes. "I'll write to Father for you," she agreed quietly. "He should know. Who else knows?"

"I just gave Madame Morrible a letter from the doctor, because I'm going to miss the exams, or at least some of them," Elphaba explained. "Other than that... the only other person who knows so far is Boq."

Nessa was surprised. "Boq?!"

"I was told to bring someone for moral support," Elphaba said.

"So, you asked Boq?" Nessa frowned, both sounding and looking very confused.

Elphaba smiled slightly, knowing how it sounded. "I couldn't ask you to come. Or Galinda or Fiyero."

"Trying to protect us?" Nessa asked and Elphaba nodded.

"Of course. Because Boq and I aren't as close, it was easier for me to ask him to be there. Does that make sense?"

Nessa nodded, although she didn't look very happy. "I suppose. It was nice of Boq to go with you. I'll come with you for your other tests," she declared.

Elphaba went to protest. "Nessa, your exams-"

"Elphaba, I'm coming," Nessa interrupted firmly. "You're my sister, and I'm coming and I want to meet with your doctor. You can't stop me. And I bet Fiyero and Galinda will say the same thing."

Elphaba's eyes burned with tears as she managed a smile. "Probably," she agreed.

"Y- You're going to be alright, aren't you, Fabala?" Nessa asked quietly.

"Of course I am," Elphaba immediately replied.

Nessa's lip trembled and her eyes fell and Elphaba drew her sister into another hug.

"I'll be ok, Nessie," she promised, even though she knew she couldn't guarantee that.

"I love you, Fabala," Nessa whispered and Elphaba closed her eyes as one lone tear fell from her eyes.

"I love you too, Nessa."

She surreptitiously wiped away before she pulled away, she didn't want Nessa to see her upset.

"When are you telling Fiyero? And Galinda?" Nessa asked.

Elphaba's eyes clouded at the reminder of the task that awaited her- another two incredibly difficult conversations with two of the people she loved most.

"Tonight," she answered. "I just... I had to tell you first."

"Do you want me to help? Come with you?" Nessa offered.

Elphaba shook her head slowly. "I should do it alone. But thank you."

"I'll write to Father tonight," Nessa told her. Then she hesitated before adding, "I know you won't believe me, Fabala but I know this news... it won't be as easy for Father to hear as you might think. You may not always get along, but I _know _Father cares for you. He has to."

Elphaba sighed. She highly doubted that, but she knew Nessa needed to believe that.

"We'll see," she finally replied.

It was another half an hour before Elphaba left Nessa's room, leaving her with one of the brochure's from Dr Crowe that contained a little information on the disease. She was exhausted, but she wanted to tell both Fiyero and Galinda before the night was over. The thought of delaying the news was too much for her.

When she left Nessa's room, Madame Morrible was waiting for her, looking sombre.

"Miss Elphaba, I'm so dreadfully sorry," she greeted her.

Elphaba fought to keep her face steady. "Thank you, Madame," she replied.

"I'll make the arrangements for you to make up your midterms after Lurlinemas, whichever you prefer."

Elphaba was surprised. "Thank you, Madame. I'd really like to do it before the holidays if I could. I won't be staying in the hospital unless there's any complications. And I don't want to get too far behind."

"Of course," Morrible reassured her. "I'll speak to your teachers and let you know."

"Thank you," Elphaba said again, and left.

Now the only question was- who did she tell next, Galinda or Fiyero?

**AN. Check out my blog for some information about this story. **


	13. Chapter 13

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. For some reason I had trouble writing the scene with Galinda. I wrote it 3 times and still don't love it. For some reason that was the hardest scene for me to write. **

**Wow. Over 200 reviews. I'm actually crying and I'm not really sure why. But thank you to everyone. I have received some of the most beautiful reviews for this story, and I wish I could reply to them all- specifically the anonymous ones. Thank you to Abee and the other Guest reviewer for this chapter. Your kind words meant a lot. **

**And I've had my first 2 people stop reading this story due to the content. And I understand that, as I said on my blog, this is a big and incredibly sensitive topic. I know that people will have had experiences with the subject, this story was so hard to write due to all the memories of my grandfather and what it was like seeing him fight cancer. Especially for 4 years. So I understand, but still... But I appreciate everyone who is continuing to read despite their personal experiences. **

**Chapter Thirteen**

In the end, she chose Galinda. As hard as it had been to tell Nessa, and as hard as she knew telling her best friend would be; she was absolutely dreading telling Fiyero and she wasn't unwilling to admit she was putting the task off as long as possible. Elphaba hoped that Boq had been able to find Galinda and get her to agree to wait in their room for her without too many questions being asked. Knowing Galinda, Elphaba doubted her friend would agree to that; and not that she doubted Boq's ability to stand up to Galinda (AKA the woman he was half in love with)'s questioning, but... yeah, she did a little.

When she entered their dorm room, Galinda was sitting at her vanity, doing her hair before the mirror.

"Oh, good you're finally here! I've been waiting _forever! _When Boq said you wanted to meet me here, I thought you'd only be a few minutes."

"I was with Nessa," Elphaba replied quietly, leaning her back against the closed door tiredly, unable to find the strength to keep standing up in that moment.

"Well, I'm meeting the girls for dinner at the _Wilted Rose, _and I've got to leave in a few minutes. What did you need to tell me?"

Elphaba rallied herself and pushed herself off the door.

"It's really important, Glin. Can we sit for a minute?"

Galinda put down her hairbrush and began applying mascara carefully.

"Elphie, I'm going to be late, the girls will be here any minute. Just tell me, I can multitask."

"Yes, but I'd really like your full attention on this conversation," Elphaba said.

The blonde waved the mascara brush airily as she put it away and picked up a lipstick.

"You have it, I promise. Do you like this colour? Do you think it matches my dress? It's the one I bought that day with Milla, the one she said made me look like-"

"Galinda, can you just shut up for _one_ second?" Elphaba snapped.

Galinda froze and gaped at Elphaba's reflection in the mirror in shock. Elphaba moaned regretfully and sank onto Galinda's bed, dropping her face into her hands and wondering if she was doomed to offend and slight everyone she loved as she told them the news.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Elphie, what's wrong?" Galinda asked carefully, turning around from the vanity.

Elphaba slowly straightened and rose her head up to look at Galinda.

"Glin, a few days ago I found a lump on my neck," she began.

Galinda looked startled. "You did? Where?"

Elphaba drew back her hair to reveal the bandage on her neck and Galinda drew in her breath softly, but looked perplexed.

"I don't understand," she frowned.

"When I went and saw Nurse Rapp, she noticed it," she explained. "She had me go to the hospital today to have a few tests done."

"The hospital? What tests? Whatever for?" Galinda just looked at her in confusion, and Elphaba decided to take the plunge.

"Glin, I have something called Hodgkin's lymphoma."

Galinda chuckled slightly and shook her head. "Lymphoma? Elphie, that sounds like cancer."

Elphaba just nodded slowly, and watched as the horror dawned on Galinda's face. Her manicured hands flew up to cover her mouth and she stared wide-eyed at Elphaba.

"I... I don't..."

Galinda seemed to be having trouble speaking and Elphaba didn't want to push her to say anything, so she just sat and waited. A second later, there was a knock on the door, and Elphaba turned to look over her shoulder automatically, wincing as the movement pulled on her neck.

"I'll get it."

Galinda jumped up hastily. "No! I'll get it."

She hurried over to the door and pulled it open.

"Galinda, are you ready?" Elphaba heard Milla's voice.

"I'm not coming, something's come up," Galinda answered in a strange voice.

"Galinda, why not?" protested Shen-Shen.

"I just can't, ok? I'll see you girls later," Galinda ushered them away, ignoring their confused questions and shut the door on them.

She came back and sat down next to Elphaba on the bed.

"I don't understand," she said finally, her voice shaking. "You can't have _cancer._ You're_ 22. _I just... you have your whole life ahead of you, and now... oh Sweet Oz," she choked out, burying her face in her hands.

"Cancer doesn't have an age limit, Glin," Elphaba replied quietly.

"But this came out of nowhere!" Galinda blurted, lowering her hands. "You're not even _sick."_

Elphaba shook her head. "There were signs. I just ignored them, or passed them off as something else."

"Like the anaemia?" Galinda asked and Elphaba nodded.

"Yeah."

Galinda fell silent, trying to take it in. "Elphie, I..." she trailed off, her voice breaking as she began to sob.

Elphaba reached out to comfort her friend, but Galinda brushed her off and she hastily tried to wipe her eyes. "Oz, I'm sorry. If anyone should be upset right now, it's you. I don't know how you're not falling apart right now."

Elphaba smiled wryly. "If I let myself fall apart, I'd never be able to have this conversation, let alone more than once."

Galinda gasped. "You were with Nessa... how did she take it? Oz, that was a stupid question," she winced.

Elphaba didn't think it was a stupid question. "She was... upset," she replied, not sure how else to describe it. "She's going to write to our father and tell him."

"And Fiyero?"

Elphaba took a deep breath. "He's next on my list, after I finish with you," she explained. "Telling him... Oz, I don't even know where to start."

Galinda reached over and took her hand. "Start with 'I love you,'" she advised gently. "And you should go now."

At Elphaba's surprised look, Galinda forced a smile. "I'm not really thinking straight right now. Go see Fiyero and when you come back, I'll be able to think of questions to ask and the right thing to say."

Elphaba was wary, just because she wasn't sure if she'd have the strength to talk more once she came back from Fiyero. When she said as much, Galinda simply shrugged.

"Then we'll talk tomorrow. I just think it's really important for you to tell Fiyero."

Elphaba nodded, figuring she couldn't put it off forever.

"OK," she agreed and rose.

"Elphie?"

Elphaba turned and saw Galinda looking at her sombrely, fresh tears shining in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you," she said in a trembling voice. "But you're going to be okay."

Elphaba wasn't sure if that was a question or a statement, but she appreciated the sentiment.

"Thanks, Glin," she replied, and hugged her friend tightly.

Galinda returned the hug tightly and when she pulled away, Elphaba saw Galinda beginning to cry again. Galinda waved off her concerned look.

"Go, I'm fine," she assured her.

Elphaba hesitated, but nodded. Before she left, she handed Galinda one of the brochures she'd given Nessa.

"This might help with some of your questions," she said and then left.

The whole way to Fiyero's dorm room, Elphaba went over the words a million times in her head. It was official, she decided. There was no good, or even least awful way to tell your boyfriend- or anyone, that you had a potentially fatal illness. And the knot in her stomach grew a thousand times tighter when Fiyero answered her knock with a loving smile.

"Hey, there you are."

Elphaba opened her mouth, but couldn't speak around the sudden lump in her throat. Instead, she simply reached up and kissed him. Fiyero kissed her back happily, but when he finally pulled away, he looked concerned.

"Fae, what-?"

Elphaba cut him off as she shook her head.

"I love you," she said shakily, taking Galinda's advice. "And I'll tell you everything, but I need you to promise me that you won't interrupt until I finish because I don't know if I'll have the strength to keep going otherwise."

Fiyero's eyes darkened further with concern. "Alright," he agreed. "But let's sit first."

He led her into the room and shut the door behind her, sitting next to her on the couch.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Elphaba had to force herself to say the words. "For a while now, things have been happening. And I ignored them, or thought it was because of something else."

Restless, she rose to her feet and began to pace before the sofa as she spoke.

"Fatigue, fever, weight loss, cough... everything that could be explained by exam stress, or the flu. But there were other signs I should have noticed and realised that it meant something more. I had a rash that just appeared one day and then disappeared a day or two later. I've been waking up every night drenched with sweat, and I didn't mention it because I didn't think it was anything big. I just thought it was something to do with the fever or something."

Elphaba knew she was rambling, but she couldn't help herself. And she couldn't bring herself to look at Fiyero.

"And then I found the lump on my neck, and I wasn't sure how it had gotten there, which should have tipped me off, but instead I just figured that I'd done it in my sleep."

Then she stopped talking, simply unable to get the words out anymore. Fiyero had been watching her silently, trying so hard to keep his promise and resist the urge to interrupt.

So instead, he silently got up, approached Elphaba and took her hands, gently leading her back to the sofa and making her sit down. Elphaba stared at their joined hands for a moment, before summoning the courage to look up at him.

"I mentioned it to the nurse when I got my blood test to check my iron levels," she said finally. "And they saw something in my blood that they wanted to get some more tests done. That's where I was today."

Here, Fiyero couldn't help but interrupt.

"You were at the _hospital?!"_ he exclaimed furiously.

Elphaba nodded and showed him the bandage on her neck. Fiyero automatically reached out to touch it, and then stopped himself.

"They cut the lump out. A biopsy," Elphaba whispered. "And one under my arm that I hadn't even noticed."

"What is it?" Fiyero asked finally.

Elphaba's grip tightened on his hand ever so slightly. "It's cancer," she eventually choked out.

Fiyero felt like he'd been hit in the face. He just stared at Elphaba, as though she'd just told him the punch line to a joke he didn't quite understand.

"W-What?" he asked.

Elphaba felt tears well up in her eyes at the look on his face, the shock and the disbelief she saw in his eyes.

"That... it's a mistake. They got the tests wrong," Fiyero said immediately.

Elphaba simply shook her head. "No, they didn't."

"But... no. No, you can't... it can't be that. It- it must be something else. Something that _looks _like cancer. Because it can't... you can't..."

Elphaba began to tremble again. She wished it wasn't true, but she couldn't tell him what he wanted to hear. "It's called Hodgkin's lymphoma. I have to go back on Monday for more tests. They want to see if it's spread anywhere else."

Fiyero looked hurt. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded.

"I didn't want to worry you until I knew for sure what it was," she replied, although it sounded like a weak excuse now- however true it was.

Fiyero chuckled incredulously. "Worry me? Elphaba, I _love_ you," he stressed, cupping her face in his hands.

"You should have told me instead of having to go through all this alone-"

He stopped mid-sentence and Elphaba watched as realisation dawned on him.

"_Boq _knows," he said. "Boq knows? You told Boq but you didn't tell _me?"_

"I couldn't tell you!" Elphaba blurted as he pulled away from her, looking even more hurt.

"Fae, I would have gone with you."

"I know! And that's why I couldn't ask you too. Don't you see?" Elphaba asked pleadingly. "If it was nothing, you would have been all worried for nothing."

"But it's not nothing!" Fiyero cried.

"I wanted you there," she admitted, her voice breaking. "I really did, Yero. But I couldn't bear to have you find out like that, hearing it from a doctor and not from me."

"But you told_ Boq."_

"Boq and I aren't that close," Elphaba replied. "He was able to support me, because I wasn't more worried about hurting him than I was about hearing the truth."

Fiyero just stared at her, and finally, Elphaba began to cry.

"This is the hardest thing I've ever had to tell you," she sobbed, barely able to get the words out. "Because I love you so much, and I'm... I'm scared. And I think if I had to watch you hear the news from the doctor in the middle of the hospital, it would kill me. I couldn't do it."

Before she'd even finished speaking, Fiyero had wrapped her in his arms and pulled her on to his lap, rocking her gently like a child as she cried.

"I told Nessa and Galinda... and it was hard. Nessa cried, and Galinda cried... I didn't know how to tell you," she wept.

Fiyero just held her tight. He got it now, and he felt like an idiot for being upset over it. It was practically hardwired in Elphaba to protect and take care of the people she loved around her; it had been ever since her mother had died and her Father had made it her priority to take care of Nessa.

She just had to learn to let other people to protect and take care of her. To let her be the weak one.

"Hey," he said gently, making her meet his gaze. "We're going to get through this, Fae. You're going to be fine," he said firmly.

"You don't know that," Elphaba whispered and Fiyero's heart clenched.

"Yes, I do," he retorted. "Because you are the strongest person I know, and I know you can beat this."

He kissed her and Elphaba buried her face in his shoulder, trying to regain control of herself.

"I can't come home with you," she told him, pulling away, fear, regret and remorse in her eyes.

"I can't spend Lurlinemas in the Vinkus. They want me here, I have to get more tests done over the next week or so, and depending on what they say, I may have to start treatment right away. I'm sorry," she apologised.

Fiyero shook his head and kissed her again. "Fae, that doesn't matter. My parents will understand why we're not coming."

"We?" Elphaba frowned slightly.

"We. If you think I'm not going to stay with you for all these tests and stuff, you've got another think coming," Fiyero replied.

Elphaba gave a small smile. "Thank you. But I don't think you'll be able to be with me for the tests. You have mid-terms."

"You get out of exams too?" Fiyero asked incredulously.

She rolled her eyes. "Fiyero, would you rather have the exam or the bone marrow biopsy?"

That startled him. "Bone marrow biopsy?" he asked quickly.

Elphaba's smile faded as she nodded. "Nine am Monday morning."

Fiyero didn't know what to say. Instead he just drew her back to him and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm still going to do my exams," Elphaba told him. "As much as I can anyway. Madame Morrible's arranging it so I can do them when I'm not in the hospital."

"What about your father?" Fiyero asked her.

"Nessa's writing to him. I... I made a joke to Nessa that he probably wouldn't even care... it was stupid, she got so upset. I still think it's true, but I shouldn't have said it. Not to Nessa."

Then she sighed. "The irony is that if I'm right and he doesn't care... he might not bother accepting all the medical bills. Which would mean-"

Fiyero didn't let her finish her sentence, he wasn't thinking about that scenario. "If he doesn't, I will."

Elphaba looked up at him. "Fiyero, you can't do that. Your parents-"

"Will understand," Fiyero interrupted firmly. "I can't think of a better use for the money, and this way, I can make sure you get the best medical care in Oz."

Elphaba leaned back against him and closed her eyes.

"I'm so tired," she whispered. "I've had this conversation three times tonight. And everyone has so many questions and things they don't understand. Things that _I _don't understand..."

Fiyero nodded knowingly, thinking. He was still trying to get his head around everything, and he knew he had many questions, but his first priority now was Elphaba's health. His plan was simple- think positive, make everyone else think positive and take care of Elphaba.

"Ok, here's the game plan," he said finally. "I'm going to take you back to your room, you're going to sleep; and tomorrow we'll all get together and sort this thing out. That way you can answer any questions at once. OK?"

"You don't need to take me back," Elphaba immediately protested. "I can still walk by myself."

"Fae, I'm walking with you," Fiyero retorted, leaving no room for argument.

Elphaba tried to hold out, but gave in soon enough. She knew there were certain issues on which Fiyero could be just as stubborn as she was- namely, her. She had yet to win an argument under those circumstances.

As they headed back to Elphaba's room, they were both quiet. Fiyero grasped her hand tightly, which normally Elphaba would have protested, but she didn't. She couldn't.

"So, we'll all meet here? At ten?" Fiyero asked as they stopped outside her door.

Elphaba nodded. "Yeah, ok."

"I'll get the message to Nessa and Boq, don't worry about that," he reassured her.

Elphaba nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Yero."

Fiyero silently bent his head, giving her a long, deep kiss. And he almost said it- he almost told her what he'd wanted to since the Emerald City, that she was The One he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, the love of his life. But he hesitated. Was this the right moment? Maybe. But was this how he wanted to remember this moment in years to come? Absolutely not.

"I love you," he murmured, when he pulled away. His heart hurt. He wanted to say so much more than that, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

"I love you too," Elphaba whispered.

Fiyero pressed another light kiss to her forehead. "Get some sleep, ok?"

Elphaba nodded with a faint smile. She didn't think she'd have any problem falling asleep tonight, she could have fallen asleep happily right there on the spot.

Fiyero seemed reluctant to leave, he just kept gazing at her with sad eyes that made Elphaba hurt.

"Go," she finally urged. "I'll see you in the morning."

Fiyero nodded grudgingly, and gave her a final kiss.

"OK. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Elphaba said softly, and as he headed down the hall she slowly opened the door to the room.

She couldn't help but hope that she would wake up and find that this had all been a horrendible nightmare. But she knew the truth in her heart. Not only was this reality, it was only the beginning.


	14. Chapter 14

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. I'm glad you all liked the last chapter, emotional as it was. Not every chapter will be that sad, I promise. And yeah, Elphaba is still Elphaba. Sarcastic, kinda pessimistic. The Elphaba we know and love. Only different. You'll see. **

**And to the anonymous reviewer who commented on my grammar- thank you. I'm sorry, I've proofread this thing a million times, but I guess things still slip through. Especially in scenes where my priority is getting the emotion across as vividly as it is in my head. Was there a specific instance you were referring to so that I can fix it?**

**Chapter Fourteen**

"This sucks."

Even Elphaba couldn't help but smile at that. "Thank you for summing the situation up so eloquently, Galinda."

The five of them were situated in Elphaba and Galinda's dorm room. Elphaba was sitting on her bed, leaning against her pillows, her feet resting in Fiyero's lap as he sat on the end of her bed, leaning against the wall. Galinda sat on her bed, facing Elphaba, and Boq sat perched awkwardly on the end of it. Nessa's chair was positioned in between the two beds.

They were a quiet, sombre group that morning. None of them looked as though they had slept at all. Elphaba herself, despite how tired she had been the night before, had spent an hour or so staring at the ceiling before she finally drifted off and then had awoken at five am with a start. It had taken her a minute to recall what had happened the day before and that it had _not _been a terrible dream, and she hadn't been able to go back to sleep after that.

She was still shaking and still felt a strange chill she couldn't shake.

"So, where do we start?" Boq asked eventually.

Nessa turned to her sister. "What happens on Monday?"

Elphaba took a deep breath. "I have to be at the hospital for nine am. They'll admit me, and do all the paperwork. The plan is to do a chest x-ray and the bone marrow biopsy."

"What other tests are they doing?" Galinda asked.

Elphaba rattled off the list she'd been mentally repeating to herself ever since Dr Crowe first told her.

"A CT scan, lymphangiogram, and gallium scan."

"And what are they?" Fiyero frowned and Elphaba shrugged.

"I have no idea. I just know they're all outpatient procedures and Dr Crowe said he'd explain each test before it happened. He probably could have told me, but I don't think I could take it in," she admitted. "It's kind of a blur."

"I don't understand why they're not doing all the tests at once," Galinda said in confusion. "Wouldn't that make more sense?"

"A lot of the tests involve being injected with stuff to get the results. So the body needs time to flush the old stuff out before the new stuff goes in," Boq explained.

The others all stared at him.

"How do you know that?" Nessa demanded.

"The doctor said it yesterday when he was making the appointments," he replied in surprise.

Elphaba had absolutely no memory of that. "See, this is _exactly_ why you were with me," she said with a faint smile.

"Will you get the results after each test or will they make you wait until they've done them all?" Nessa asked.

"After each one, I'd imagine. And then an overview of the collective results to discuss plans for treatment," Elphaba replied.

That sounded right anyway, even if she couldn't recall everything... ok, _anything_ Dr Crowe said to her as he made the appointments. It was a shame, she reflected, because apparently that was when all the important stuff had been said.

"Did I miss anything else? I zoned out a little at that time," she asked Boq.

"Just that you're also going to be meeting with a counsellor during the process," he replied casually.

Elphaba sat straight up on the bed and gaped at him. "What?!" she exclaimed.

She wasn't too keen on having to talk about her feelings to a complete stranger whilst she underwent cancer treatment; which surprised none of her friends.

"I thought you took that news too calmly yesterday," Boq grinned.

"But _why?" _she demanded in distaste.

"He didn't say why, just that it was part of the treatment process."

Elphaba pouted.

Galinda decided to change the subject. "OK, so what's everyone's exam timetable like on Monday?"

"Why?" Elphaba asked.

"So we can work out who can come with you," Fiyero answered as though it was obvious.

"You guys, you don't have too-"

"I wrote to Father this morning, telling him the news and that I wouldn't be coming home for the holidays," Nessa cut her sister off.

"I wrote to Momsie and Popsicle telling them the same thing," Galinda nodded.

"Me too," Boq agreed.

"I only woke up like fifteen minutes before coming here," Fiyero admitted. "But I'm writing to my parents once we're done here."

Elphaba didn't know what to say. "It's going to be a really sucky Lurlinemas," she warned them.

"But at least it'll suck and we'll be together," Fiyero told her softly, taking her hand.

"I want to go to the hospital with you," Nessa told her sister. "I want to meet your doctor."

"Me too," Fiyero agreed. "Plus, I don't really understand all this lymph stuff."

"Yeah, the brochure didn't really help explain it to me," Galinda agreed.

Fiyero frowned at her. "What brochure?"

Galinda looked confused. "Elphie gave me a brochure with some information about this... Hodgkin's thing."

"Me too," Nessa nodded.

Fiyero turned to Elphaba. "I didn't get one."

"Sorry, I forgot," Elphaba apologised. "I was a bit distracted by the time I got to you last night. I can give you one," she offered, reaching over for her bag, but Fiyero waved her off.

"Nah, if the girls didn't understand it, I don't like my chances. I'll just ask the doctor."

"So, exams?" Boq asked, looking around.

"Mine's in the afternoon tomorrow," Nessa said.

"So is mine," Fiyero added.

"I've got mine in the morning, but not until ten o'clock," Galinda said, and so did Boq.

As they all wanted to meet Elphaba's doctor, they worked out that they would all go with Elphaba to the hospital. Galinda and Boq would stay as long as they could before their exams. If Elphaba still wasn't finished by the time Fiyero and Nessa had to leave for their exams, Galinda and Boq would take their place and take Elphaba home once she was done.

They then went through every other day Elphaba had an appointment, and worked out a similar system.

Elphaba was touched by their support, she knew hanging around a hospital was something no one found fun, and as much as she wanted to protest, she felt better by the thought of them being there. That was the hardest thing she was getting her head around- the idea that there would be much she would need their help and support with over the next few months.

"Does anyone have any other questions?" Elphaba asked them, once that had all been sorted.

Boq spoke up hesitantly. "Um, I do. What about school? Will you be allowed to stay?"

"Morrible loves Elphaba," Fiyero replied immediately.

"I didn't mean Morrible," Boq returned. "I meant your father, Elphie. Wouldn't he prefer to take you back to Munchkinland for treatment?"

Elphaba hadn't thought of that. She'd been far too preoccupied with the issue of whether or not her father would even care. What he would do if he _did_ care had never crossed her mind.

"That would make sense," she admitted. "I mean, he's the Governor..."

Galinda gaped at her. "You'd leave?"

"Not by choice, Glin," Elphaba said gently. "But I may not have a choice. If he's paying my medical bills..."

"But your doctor is _here!"_ Fiyero blurted, looking panic-stricken.

"We have doctors in Munchkinland," Elphaba pointed out.

"But surely the doctors and the care is better here," Galinda argued.

"Says who?" Nessa interjected, looking offended.

"If he takes you back to Munchkinland, I'm coming too," Fiyero said stubbornly.

Elphaba's eyes widened. "You can't _drop out!" _she said, completely aghast.

"Well, I'm sure as hell not going to stay here while you're all the way in Munchkinland doing-" Fiyero stopped, not quite sure how to end that sentence.

The room was silent, everyone thinking words no one wanted to say aloud.

"I'd go mad, worrying about you," he said finally, tightening his grip on her hand.

"Me too," Nessa agreed.

"And me," Galinda added.

Elphaba laughed hollowly before Boq could voice his agreement to the idea.

"So, if my father insists on taking me back to Munchkinland, you're all going to drop out and come with me? I can imagine your parents all _loving _that idea."

"They-"

"Fiyero, _don't_ say your parents would understand that," Elphaba warned him.

"They would!" Fiyero insisted.

He was completely confident in that, even if Elphaba wasn't.

Boq figured that _someone _had to bring up the alternative, not knowing that Elphaba and Fiyero had discussed it the night before.

"Er, I'm not saying he _will, _but what if your father... well, you and he don't always get along and-"

"What if he decides I'm not worth the bother?" Elphaba summarised bluntly, and Nessarose flinched harshly.

"He wouldn't," she spoke up in his defence.

"I've already told Fae that anything she needs medical, money, whatever- I'll cover it," Fiyero told them.

Nessa was stunned. "Fiyero, that's an incredibly generous offer," she said.

"Yeah and-"

"Don't even finish that sentence, Elphaba," Fiyero warned her. "You don't get a say in it, it's happening."

Elphaba appreciated the gesture and the sentiment, but still wasn't comfortable with the idea.

"When I promised you that I'd try and get used to you spending money on me, this wasn't exactly what you suggested."

"No, it's way more important," Fiyero replied.

They spent another hour in Elphaba and Galinda's room talking, and then left. Fiyero immediately headed back to his room, to sit down and write to his parents. He knew they would understand, but he wasn't really sure how to tell them. For the first time, he had an idea of how difficult it had been for Elphaba to tell them; but he was sure it had been a hundred times harder.

"_Dear Mom and Dad, _[he wrote]

_I hope you guys are well and that it's not snowing too badly at home. _

_I wish I was writing with better news. I thought you'd need to know as soon as possible that Elphaba and I won't be coming home for Lurlinemas like we'd planned. Elphaba especially is really disappointed and really apologetic, but it's not exactly by choice. Or her choice, anyway._

_Elphaba's sick. She's just been diagnosed with cancer- Hodgkin's lymphoma. She has a bunch of tests over this week and has to be here and available for the results and so they can start treatment immediately if need be. And I don't want to leave her._

_We're all still trying to process the news. Elphaba is trying to be strong for everyone else at the moment, especially her sister. We're all trying to stay positive until we have more information at exactly how bad it is. Physically, she's feeling pretty good. Really tired, but that's her only complaint. Not that she complains much at all. _

_She only found out for sure yesterday, and that's when she told me and everyone else. Her sister is writing to their father to tell him the news- I told you about the relationship between Elphaba and her father, didn't I? Needless to say, they don't get along very well. Elphaba isn't even sure how much he'll care that she's sick when he gets the letter._

_Oh, that's the other thing I should tell you- I told Elphaba that if for whatever reason, her father can't (or won't) cover her medical expenses, I would. I know that it's a lot of money, and probably something I should have discussed with you guys first, but I really didn't think you'd object. I love her, and I want to make sure she has the best chance of fighting this thing, whatever the cost. _

_Also, we realised today that Elphaba's father might want her to go back to Munchkinland for treatment. If that does happen, I'm going with her. I know you're not going to like that decision, because it does involve me dropping out of Shiz; but I also know you'll understand my reasons. I can't stand the idea of being so far away from her while she's going through this alone in Munchkinland. I won't do it, with or without your approval. _

_Elphaba's hoping to stay, obviously. She seems to think she'll be able to stay at Shiz through all this. I don't know if it's possible, but if anyone can, it'll be Elphaba. Plus, she seems to like her doctor. A Doctor Crowe? She only met him once so far, but I think she likes him. And she's usually a pretty good judge of character._

_I'll keep you posted as we find out more news. Elphaba asked me to send her sincerest apologies for having to cancel at the last minute, she really feels bad. She was really looking forward to meeting you both and seeing the Vinkus._

_I'm sorry I won't see you guys for Lurlinemas. Hopefully I'll try and remember to post your presents sometime this week._

_Love, Fiyero."_

Fiyero re-read the letter carefully. He didn't think it was very good, but it explained what he knew to his parents and that was his main intention. What else could he add? How terrified he was for Elphaba? How although he was trying to force himself to stay positive, and keep Elphaba doing the same, his brain kept straying to terrible scenarios that made him want to throw up? How hard he was forcing himself to reassure himself that Elphaba was going to be just fine and that this was not as bad as it sounded?

He couldn't say any of that to his parents, he could barely admit it to himself. He knew that Elphaba was trying to be strong for Nessa, and he knew that she was the only one that she had cried in front of since she had found out the news. All he could do was be strong for her, that was what was getting him through the day.

He just hoped it would be enough.

**AN. The counsellor is something I added. I don't think it's an actual thing. At least, not that Google could tell me. Although there was plenty of talk of support groups, so... yeah. **


	15. Chapter 15

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. You guys can no longer complain about anything I do ever. Because a TV show, _Offspring, _here in Australia just killed off the main character's partner just like a week before she gives birth to their first child the day of her baby shower. Because he got knocked over by a car and got a bleed in his brain, and died in surgery. **

**You're all welcome for me never doing that. **

**Chapter Fifteen**

Monday morning found them all crammed into a hospital room, waiting for Dr Crowe to arrive. Elphaba had been checked in and given a bed and a hospital gown and now they were just waiting.

Elphaba was very quiet. She wasn't too worried about the chest x-ray, but the idea of the bone marrow biopsy unnerved her- mostly because she knew it involved a _really _big needle. She'd been too nervous to even eat anything that morning, although she'd been told that she could have something light.

"It's weird, but I swear I can feel it."

Fiyero and Nessa both looked at her.

"Feel what, Fae?" Fiyero asked gently.

"The cancer," she replied. "Sounds dumb, I know."

There was a long pause.

"It doesn't," Nessa reassured her softly.

Fiyero couldn't help but ask. "What does it feel like?"

"Like I need to shower a thousand times, but it'll never be enough," she said, staring up at the ceiling.

"Like there's something dirty and disgusting growing inside."

"Fae, we don't even know-"

"I know there's enough in there to make me sick. Isn't that enough?" she asked, turning her head to look at him.

Fiyero didn't know what else to say, he just lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. It was more than enough. It was too much.

They'd been waiting for nearly fifteen minutes when Dr Crowe finally arrived.

"Good morning, Miss Thropp."

Elphaba grimaced at the formal address. "Just Elphaba is fine. Really."

He smiled. "Very well."

"This is my sister, Nessarose," Elphaba introduced Nessa. "And my boyfriend, Fiyero Tiggular."

Dr Crowe's nodded respectfully towards Fiyero. "Your Highness."

Fiyero nodded in return. "Hi."

"And this is Galinda Upland-"

"Of the Upper Uplands," Galinda added as she shook the doctor's hand, which made Elphaba roll her eyes.

"And you've met Boq."

"Yes, of course. It's nice to see that you have such a good support network around you, Elphaba," Dr Crowe replied warmly.

"Um, how long do you think it'll take today?" Elphaba asked.

Dr Crowe patiently explained. "It should only take a few hours. The x-rays should be in the next half an hour, they're just setting everything up now. Then we'll do the bone marrow biopsy. The actual procedure should only take about twenty minutes, and then there's recovery time. If everything goes as well as we expect it to, then you can go."

Elphaba nodded, that sounded good to her.

"What exactly are you looking for? Would you mind explaining?" Nessa asked.

"We kind of didn't really understand what's going on," Galinda explained.

"Of course, " Dr Crowe said, and cleared his throat.

"Lymphoma is cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of the body's immune system. It includes the lymph nodes, tonsils, bone marrow and the spleen."

"What do lymph nodes actually _do?" _Boq asked.

"An excellent question," Dr Crowe replied. "Lymph nodes store fluid and waste products from the body. They remove things like bacteria, which helps protect the body from infection. And then the fluid, which is called lymph is passed back into the bloodstream."

"So, the tests you're doing today, what are they for?" Fiyero questioned.

"The human body has lymph nodes all around the body, including the armpit, groin, stomach, chest and neck. Now, we found enlarged lymph nodes in Elphaba's neck and armpit, that was what caused the lumps that we biopsied. What all these other tests are doing are letting us look at the other lymph nodes to check them for cancer. The chest x-ray will show us the lymph nodes in your chest and lungs, Elphaba. And the bone marrow biopsy is to see if it's spread to the bone marrow."

"Which we're hoping not, right?" Elphaba asked, although it seemed like a stupid question.

Dr Crowe smiled slightly. "Yes, it's a good sign if it's not in the marrow. I'm going to go make sure we're ready to go, the nurse will be in shortly to bring you down, alright? Do you need anything?"

Elphaba shook her head. "No."

"Very well."

Dr Crowe left and silence filled the room once more.

"We should go," Boq said apologetically, gesturing to himself and Galinda.

Elphaba nodded. "Of course. Good luck on your exams."

Galinda stared at Elphaba as though that was a ridiculous thing to say.

"Elphie..."

Elphaba let out a muffled "Oof," as Galinda threw herself on her in a tight hug.

"Good luck. Everything's going to be fine, I know it."

Elphaba forced a smile. "Thanks, Glin. I'll see you later, ok?"

"Have fun," Boq said without thinking and then paused. "Wait..."

Elphaba genuinely grinned at that. "I'm going to believe you meant that sarcastically."

Boq didn't miss a beat. "Of course I did. Bye."

Once they were gone, Elphaba looked to Nessa and Fiyero.

"Are you guys _sure _you want to spend all morning hanging around here? Because it's incredibly boring."

"It beats hanging around school waiting for my exam," Fiyero grinned, and Elphaba rolled her eyes.

Comments like that were what was keeping Elphaba grounded, what was making her feel like things were normal and not spiralling out of control. Because honestly, most of the time she was hanging on by a thread.

"The doctor seems nice," Nessa offered.

Elphaba nodded. "Yeah."

A few minutes later, a nurse entered the room, pushing a wheelchair.

"I can walk," Elphaba offered immediately.

The nurse smiled. "Hospital policy, Miss Thropp."

Elphaba wasn't happy about it, but she wasn't going to complain- especially with Nessa in the room.

"We'll see you when you get back, Fabala," Nessa said softly as Elphaba got out of bed and sat in the chair.

Elphaba forced a smile for her sister. "Ok, Nessa."

Fiyero simply bent down and kissed her- a long, sweet kiss.

"Everything's going to be fine," he told her softly.

Elphaba said nothing, but squeezed his hand tightly as the nurse began to wheel her away.

Left alone, Fiyero and Nessa returned to the waiting room. Fiyero felt kind of awkward, if he was honest. Yeah, he and Nessa were part of the same friendship group and yes he was dating her sister; but they never really were alone together or had many conversations. But he did hope that one day, Nessa would be his sister-in-law. Which meant that perhaps he should get to know her better.

He just wasn't really sure where to start.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked her.

Nessa looked surprised. "Sure."

"Why doesn't Fae like needles?"

Nessa paused. "Does anyone _like_ needles?" she replied, and Fiyero grinned.

"Touché. But Elphaba seems to really hate them. I wondered if there was a reason."

"I think it's just one of those things. Why don't you ask her? I thought you two knew everything about each other."

"Everyone _always_ says that," Fiyero complained.

Nessarose smiled slightly. "Sorry. But I really don't know what to tell you."

"She didn't have a traumatic experience with a needle or something?" Fiyero asked.

Nessa went very quiet and looked at her hands.

"Nessa?" Fiyero questioned, frowning.

"I don't know if it's true... it's just a rumour I heard once... I don't think Elphaba's ever heard it."

"_What?" _Fiyero pressed.

"I once overheard some people talking. Saying that after Elphaba was born... our parents had a bunch of tests done to try and figure out..."

"Why she was green," Fiyero finished in realisation.

Nessa nodded. "I don't know if it's true, but if it is, that might explain her hatred of needles."

Fiyero didn't want to say it, knowing Nessa was much closer to her father than Elphaba was; but he wouldn't surprise him in the least if it _was_ true.

"When will he find out?" he asked.

He didn't have to specify what he meant. "It depends on the mail. Wednesday at the earliest, I think," Nessa replied.

Fiyero was thoughtful. How soon would he reply? And what would that reply entail? Would he even bother?

"What do you think he'll do?"

Nessa met his gaze steadily. "I know he and Elphaba aren't very close, but we're still family. He's still her father. He cared enough about her to question you, didn't he? To insist on meeting you?"

"He may have met me, but it wasn't exactly a 'break my daughter's heart and I'll kill you' type speech, or 'you're not good enough for my daughter'."

"Well, what was it then?" Nessa retorted.

"It was a test. 'Do I want you associated with my family'?"

"I think you're wrong," she insisted.

Fiyero didn't want to fight, especially not now and about this issue.

"Well, maybe. I guess we'll see."

Silence fell.

"Do you think she's alright?" Nessa asked.

"At the moment? Yeah. It's just an x-ray, you don't even feel it. She'll be fine," Fiyero said confidently.

He was right, Elphaba was fine. It felt a little odd and she felt self-conscious just to be lying on a table, especially when she knew Dr Crowe and at least one nurse were nearby but she couldn't see them, but other than that it was fine.

The room was cold and the lighting was dim, which made it feel even colder.

"We're almost done, Elphaba," Dr Crowe called out to her.

Elphaba nodded slightly. No one had really said anything to her since they'd started, except to tell her to change position and not to move when they were taking the x ray.

"When will we find out the results?" Elphaba asked, when they had finished and Dr Crowe entered, again with a wheelchair.

"Tomorrow at the earliest," he promised her. "I'll try my best to have them ready for you when you arrive."

Elphaba nodded unhappily. She was quickly learning that it was waiting for the test results that was the worst part, even worse than the tests themselves.

"Now," Dr Crowe said, as they were heading back to her room. "I seem to have noticed that you're not a fan of needles."

"I like them fine. It's when people stick them through my skin that I have an issue with them," Elphaba replied dryly.

He chuckled. "My point is, we can give you a sedative if you would like."

As proud as Elphaba could be, she wasn't an idiot. If she was given the option to not feel pain, she was going to take it.

"Yes please," she said immediately.

"Alright, I'll have it sent it once you're settled," he assured her.

He escorted her back to the room she had been in before and left. He'd only been gone a minute before a nurse entered to take her blood pressure. After that, it was a flurry of action. Elphaba was injected with the sedative, and was instructed to roll onto her side before she drifted off. And then Elphaba remembered no more.

The next thing she knew, she was opening her eyes groggily, feeling incredibly slow and sluggish; and she turned her head slightly to see Fiyero and Nessa sitting at her bedside in silence.

Nessa was the first to notice she was awake, and an expression of what could only be described as relief washed over her face.

"Fabala, you're awake!"

Fiyero's eyes whipped to her, and he leaned forward with a loving smile. "Hi."

"Hi," she whispered hoarsely. "What time is it?"

"Almost noon. You've been asleep for a while," he said gently. "How do you feel Fae?"

"Sore," Elphaba replied.

Her lower back and hip throbbed dreadfully, and even just lying on her back was uncomfortable.

She looked between Nessa and Fiyero. "Have you seen Dr Crowe? Did he say anything?"

"Just briefly," Nessa answered. "He didn't really say anything. Just that it went well and it would be a few days before we got the results."

"A few _days?"_ Elphaba exclaimed.

Fiyero picked up immediately she didn't like that idea- he didn't either to be honest.

"He said he'll rush them as much as he can, Fae," he soothed her, but he knew that wasn't much comfort.

Elphaba sighed. "When can we leave?" she asked.

"I'll go find out," Fiyero offered and left to find someone to ask, but not before kissing her forehead gently.

Left alone, Elphaba looked to her sister.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm ok," Nessa replied, but her tone lacked conviction.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow at her, and Nessa chuckled sheepishly.

"OK, so I'm mostly ok," she amended. "It's hard... seeing you like this. And I know it's going to get worse..."

Elphaba sighed. "I'm sorry, Nessa. And as much as I appreciate you staying, if it's too hard you can leave," she offered.

Nessa immediately shook her head. "No, I'm ok. I _will_ _be _okay."

Elphaba smiled. "OK. But the offer's there."

When Fiyero returned, it was with Dr Crowe. He quickly checked Elphaba over, made sure the biopsy site had stopped bleeding and then gave her a sheet of paper.

"What's this?"

"Instructions," he explained. "What to do, what not to do. What signs to look for that mean you either go to the medical office on campus or come back here. Understood?"

Elphaba nodded, scanning the sheet.

"I want you to take it easy for the next twenty-four hours," he warned her. "Don't take off the bandage or get it wet. Just rest. If it hurts, you can take aspirin for the pain."

"But I can leave?" Elphaba asked and he nodded.

"Yes. Any questions?"

Elphaba shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Very well. Just sign here, and you can get dressed and leave. I'll see you on Wednesday."

Elphaba made a face slightly, but at least she didn't have any more tests the next day.

"Make sure she rests," Dr Crowe addressed Nessa and Fiyero before leaving, which made Elphaba indignant.

"What? He doesn't think I can follow instructions?" she demanded.

Fiyero grinned. "I think he knows that you're stubborn and sitting still is not one of your many skills."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "He's only known me for a few days."

"It doesn't take long to realise you're stubborn," Nessa smiled.

It wasn't terribly far from town to campus, but between Nessa's chair and Elphaba's strict orders to rest, Fiyero had ordered one of the school carriages to take them to and from the hospital that day.

"What time does Galinda's exam finish?" Fiyero asked.

His and Nessa's exams started at two, and they had to be in their respective rooms at a quarter to. They still had plenty of time, but Fiyero wanted to ensure Elphaba wouldn't be alone.

"I think it finishes at one," Nessa answered him.

Elphaba stared at Fiyero pointedly. "I know what you're doing."

He feigned innocence. "What's that, Fae?"

"Making sure I have a baby-sitter before you two go to your exams."

"Not a baby-sitter!" Fiyero protested. "Just someone there to help if you need anything. You heard Dr Crowe, you have to rest."

"Well, right now I plan on sleeping," Elphaba retorted. "Which does _not_ require supervision."

But they both still hovered over her as they returned to campus. The closest Elphaba had to privacy was when she locked herself in the bathroom so she could change into her nightgown before she climbed into bed.

"Do you need anything?" Fiyero asked, placing a glass of water on her nightstand.

"Fiyero, I'm fine," she assured him tiredly. "Honestly, I'm going to go to sleep. I've got aspirin and now water right next to me if I need them. And Galinda will probably be here soon anyway. You should both go. Revise your notes one last time before your exams."

"Do you want us to bring you something to eat after?" Nessa offered.

Elphaba didn't know how hungry she'd be, but she understood they just wanted to feel useful.

"Sure. Thanks, Nessa."

Fiyero leaned down and kissed her. "Rest."

"I will. I am," she promised. "Good luck for the exam."

Fiyero made a face and she laughed.

Finally, they both said goodbye and left the room. Left alone at last, Elphaba sighed and closed her eyes wearily. One test down. For the first time, Elphaba understood why people always spoke about cancer as though it was a war. Because it was- this was going to be a long fight, and she had only just begun.

And with that thought in mind, she drifted off to sleep.

**AN. Also, the other day I was listening to my iPod and the song "Long Time Coming" came on, from the movie _What a Girl Wants? _So, then naturally my mind goes to Fiyeraba (as it does with everything). Except I saw Elphaba/Fiyero as Libby/Henry not Daphne/Ian. Anyone else see that? Although that would make Glinda as Glynnis. **

**Although I think if I was to write it that it would focus more on Elphaba/Fiyero, because I don't really like fics where the main character is the children of other characters. Like in the _Anne of Green Gables _series, where the later books is more about Anne and Gilbert's kids and Anne and Gilbert themselves are hardly in it. I mean, I want them to have children, but I don't want their children to be the main character.**

**Really the only movies like that I enjoy are _Little Mermaid 2 _and _Lion King 2, _and even then I want more focus on Ariel and Simba. Is that just me?**


	16. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. To the lovely Guest reviewer- stories prior to _Stranger to Myself _is Lucy because I didn't see Suzie until I saw the show in Singapore. But STM and later stories are mostly Lucy, although with aspects of Suzie. I'm so happy I'll get to see Suzie a final 2 times before she leaves! I'm going to see the show in NZ in October. I'm thrillified Lucy is returning but I do love Suzie and her Glinda! BTW, would you mind telling me your name? I feel so bad that I can't reply and I don't even know your name!**

**This chapter is for Liana, who made me get up to update this story. Thanks Liana :p**

**Chapter Sixteen**

By the time the exam period was over, and Lurlinemas holidays had officially begun, Elphaba was officially sick to death of hospitals. She'd had the CT scan, to scan the rest of her body for any further signs of cancer; the gallium scan to check for abnormal lymph nodes; and the lymphangiogram, which was to examine her entire lymphatic system.

She'd been poked and prodded on what felt like every inch of her. It felt like every time she stepped foot inside the building they found an excuse to stick her with another needle and take more blood.

And when she wasn't in the hospital, she was sleeping, or sitting one of the exams she'd missed. Morrible had called her into her office to let her know that all the staff had been informed, and the school was willing to do whatever was needed for Elphaba to continue with her education. Elphaba had been very firm that she wanted to stay and keep studying, if that was possible and Morrible had agreed.

It had been a mixed time- both good news and bad. Dr Crowe telling her there was no sign of cancer in her bone marrow or her chest were definitely positive signs. But there had been no reply to Nessa's letter from Frex, which Elphaba wasn't sure what to make of.

"These tests, the doctor's appointments... it's all money. Money I don't have," she said to Galinda on the subject.

"At least Fiyero's offered to-"

"I know he's offered. But he shouldn't have to do that," Elphaba cut her off. "And even if my father _doesn't _care, he could at least reply and tell me that."

The last test- although Dr Crowe had told her it wasn't a test, nevertheless it felt like one to Elphaba- and was just as painful and uncomfortable- was having to meet with the counsellor. She had arrived at the appointed time, and been greeted by a woman in her mid-thirties. Once again, she didn't seem surprised by the colour of Elphaba's skin, which told Elphaba Dr Crowe or someone had told her ahead of time.

"Elphaba, it's nice to meet you. Come in and have a seat," the woman greeted her, showing Elphaba into her office.

It was a nice room, with a desk, bookcase, two comfy armchairs and a sofa, and a small fridge in one corner.

Elphaba awkwardly took a seat in one of the armchairs, and the woman took the other. Elphaba really didn't want to be there, and she didn't care if it showed. She was absolutely dreading what was coming next. Once she'd finished here, she was meeting the others in Dr Crowe's office to go over all her test results and discuss the next step- treatment. She had asked Dr Crowe if it would be possible for them to be there, and he had agreed. Elphaba wasn't sure if it was more for support or simply so she didn't have to repeat everything he told her once she met them afterwards.

"I'm Michi," she introduced herself.

"Hi."

"How are you feeling?"

Elphaba shrugged, unsure how to respond. She felt tired, which was the norm these days. She was still waking up with night sweats, and that was when she was lucky to sleep at all, because she kept going over the tests and their results in her mind. But on the bright side, the spot from her bone marrow biopsy no longer hurt and the bruise was almost faded.

"Fine, thank you. You're a doctor?" Elphaba asked, unsurely. Dr Crowe had never really explained that to her.

"I am," Michi nodded. "I'm a psychologist, to be specific. And I'm also a former nurse, although I spend most of my time counselling people these days."

Elphaba nodded in understanding.

"We won't be long here," Michi promised. "I just want to meet you, and explain what my role is and why we'll be meeting. Is that okay?"

Elphaba shrugged. "Sure."

In truth, she was relieved. She'd been imagining being asked all these terrible questions and tests. Listening, she could do.

"I understand what you're going through, Elphaba," she began. "And I know if you haven't heard that a million times already, you will have soon," she added with a smile. "But I really do understand."

Elphaba looked up in surprise. "You had cancer?"

"Ovarian cancer," Michi nodded. "Six years ago. That's what made me become a psychologist, actually; in addition to being a nurse."

Elphaba was intrigued now, even if she didn't fully understand. "How?"

"Fighting cancer isn't just about medicine, or surgery or however they decide to treat you. It's just as much a mental and emotional battle as it is physically. When I was going through my treatment, I read a lot on the subject of how much the little things can help. Diet, exercise, a positive outlook. Things to keep you fighting."

"So what we'll be doing in our meetings is concentrating on all those things. I might give you exercises or something to do in between."

"How often will that happen?" Elphaba asked.

Michi smiled. "For now, I'd like to start with once a week. We'll see how it goes, is that okay?"

Elphaba nodded. "What kind of exercises are we talking about?"

"Well," Michi replied, tucking a loose lock of blonde hair out of her eyes. "The one I'm giving you today, is to write a list."

"A list?" Elphaba repeated quizzically. "A list of what?"

"A list of everything you're looking forward to."

Elphaba paused. "You mean like never getting stuck with another needle?"

Michi laughed. "Sure, that counts," she agreed. "The little stuff counts. But I was thinking more along the lines of what you're looking forward to in life. Do you want to travel? Is there a career you want? Things like that."

"So... looking to the future kind of things?" Elphaba asked.

"Exactly."

Elphaba didn't know what to say. Her future, that is, her long-term future, had never been something she'd thought a lot about. Her whole life until Shiz had been about running her father's household and taking care of Nessa. It still seemed a foreign concept to her to do anything else.

"When do you want this done?" she asked hesitantly.

"Why don't we give it until next week?" Michi suggested. "If you need more time, let me know. This isn't homework," she added laughingly.

Michi spent the next half an hour asking Elphaba questions. She didn't even mention the cancer, she just asked about her hobbies and her friends. And she let Elphaba get to know her. She was happy to answer any questions Elphaba had about her own cancer experience, personal life and anything else Elphaba wanted or needed to know.

"Why don't we meet the same time next week?" Michi recommended.

Elphaba thought rapidly. Next Friday was Lurlinemas Eve.

"Don't you have holiday plans?" she asked with a frown.

Michi shrugged. "Not for Lurlinemas Eve. We can meet earlier if you'd like."

Elphaba shook her head. "Friday's fine."

"So Friday, ten o'clock? I'll see you then," she smiled.

Elphaba said goodbye and headed over to Dr Crowe's office. When she entered, she found the others already waiting for her.

"How'd it go?" Galinda asked her.

"Fine," Elphaba answered vaguely, taking the empty seat waiting for her. Her attention was focused on Dr Crowe.

"So, what's the verdict?"

The doctor looked at her calmly. "Alright, Elphaba. Well, it's not great news. But it's not bad, either."

"Which means what?" Elphaba asked.

"The tests place you at Stage 2B," Dr Crowe explained. "Now, what that means is that the cancer is isolated to only two locations, and both on the same side of the diaphragm. In your case, those locations are your neck and underarm."

"Wait- the lumps you took out, aren't they the cancers?" asked Nessa hesitantly.

"They were cancer, yes. But it's not that simple. There is still cancer in the surrounding cells and lymph nodes in those areas. So, what we do now, is kill those cancerous cells."

"And what does the B mean?" Fiyero frowned, taking Elphaba's hand.

"The B refers to the secondary symptoms Elphaba is experiencing. The night sweats, the fever," he elucidated.

There was silence for a moment as they all took that in.

"How bad is that?"

Dr Crowe turned his gaze to Nessa, so he could answer her question.

"It's an unfavourable prognosis," he replied gently.

"I think _any_ cancer is unfavourable," Boq commented in an audible mutter.

"Obviously," the doctor smiled slightly. "But Elphaba's chances are very good. The statistics for remission are usually about 90 per cent."

Fiyero's grip tightened on Elphaba's hand. "That's- that's good, right? I mean, ninety per cent... that's good," he said hoarsely.

Dr Crowe was cautious. "It is one of the more treatable cancers. But I don't want you to get your hopes up. Nothing is guaranteed with cancer."

Elphaba gave a small shudder. To be told that ninety per cent wasn't a guarantee... it was not exactly a cheery thought.

"So, how do we... kill the cells?" Elphaba asked.

She was feeling remarkably calm so far. But this was the part that had been in her mind for the past week- the treatment.

"We're going to use two different methods of magic combined."

That caught Elphaba's attention. "Magic? Not medicine?"

"There is medicine involved," Dr Crowe allowed. "But magic has proven to be much more effective in these cases."

He pulled out some sheafs of paper and handed them to Elphaba.

"We start with a bi-weekly cycle of potions. Now, these potions are quite potent."

"Potent how?" Elphaba asked, taking the papers.

"Amongst the many magical components, they contain some substances not usually intended for human absorption."

"Poison," she said bluntly.

"Essentially, yes," Dr Crowe agreed.

Nessa gasped in horror. "Is that safe?" she demanded.

"These are specially engineered potions with cytotoxic properties, which means it's toxic to cells. It's a small, concentrated dose. And we administer them through an IV," Dr Crowe reassured her. "However, there are side effects."

"Nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, hair loss, mouth ulcers, fatigue," Elphaba read aloud from the papers she was scanning.

"Well... doesn't that sound fun," she added sarcastically.

Galinda looked almost traumatised. _"Hair loss?"_

She stared at Elphaba so intensely that Elphaba felt a little awkward and pulled her hair to the side away from Galinda. She couldn't help the feeling that Galinda was about to reach out and touch it.

"It's possible," Dr Crowe nodded. "Some people lose all their hair, some only lose bits and some people don't lose their hair at all. No two cases are exactly the same. Now, because the potions kill fast dividing cells, including your white blood cells; that means we'll have to watch carefully for infection. Your immune system will be very vulnerable."

"Or non-existent," Elphaba retorted. She knew enough about biology to know that.

Then she looked up at him. "So, I get this potion every two weeks?"

"Yes," the doctor nodded. "We'll do six cycles of this. Then we'll follow that with the use of a special spell that uses radiation to target the cancer cells."

"And how often does that happen?" Fiyero questioned. "Are there any side effects to that?"

"The spell is cast each day, five days out of the week. This goes on for between 3 and five weeks, depending on how well the cancer reacts. Mostly, fatigue is the only side effect. But it can dry out your skin and cause blistering."

Elphaba was silent, reading and re-reading the information in her hands. Most of it was what Dr Crowe had already told them- what the treatments were, what they did and the side effects.

It was really hitting her as she read it all, exactly what was awaiting her over the coming months. And the reality was sobering. These, she realised, were the big battles. Just surviving these treatments. And from what she was reading, the war could be ongoing long after any trace of cancer remained.

"When do we start?" she asked quietly.

"I want to start as soon as possible. We'll schedule the first potion for Friday."

The others looked surprised.

"On Lurlinemas Eve?" Fiyero asked.

"Good thing I'm not big on holidays, right?" Elphaba said wryly.

"Fabala," Nessa said softly, a note of warning in her tone.

Elphaba was quickly learning not to joke or make light of this- in Nessa's presence, at least.

"Sorry, Nessa," she apologised gently.

"Does anyone have any questions?" Dr Crowe asked the group at large.

There were none. Elphaba was pretty sure they were too busy trying to take everything in to actually form any further questions.

Dr Crowe made the appointment for Elphaba before they left, starting 9 am on Friday morning. The group was silent as they left the hospital and climbed into the carriage waiting for them, until Elphaba spoke up.

"I did warn you guys this would be a sucky Lurlinemas, but even I didn't think it would be this bad."

She looked up at Fiyero apologetically. "Looks like I'm going to ruin your birthday too."

He wrapped an arm around her waist, and drew her close. "We'll be together. That's all I need," he promised her.

"And cake," he added as an afterthought.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Well, at least I rate more important than cake."

"And presents," Fiyero grinned.

"More important than presents?" Boq asked and Elphaba looked to him.

"I feel I should be offended at the disbelief in your tone," she said and Boq looked sheepish.

"I didn't mean it _that_ way."

"We'll have to do something special for Lurlinemas," Galinda spoke up, changing the subject as they .

"To make it special," Nessa agreed.

Elphaba chuckled slightly as the carriage entered campus and headed towards the girl's dorm building.

"Well, I don't think this Lurlinemas could get any worse, so go nuts," she agreed.

Galinda and Nessa looked excited at Elphaba's agreement.

"Ooh, we can make it a surprise!" Galinda exclaimed, her face lit up.

Elphaba groaned and Fiyero snorted.

"Yeah, good luck with that. Fae _hates _surprises."

Before Nessa or Galinda could argue, the carriage came to a stop and Elphaba climbed out. The others followed, Nessa and Galinda still pleading their case.

"You guys," Elphaba said wearily. "I have had more than enough surprises to last me a lifetime."

She turned to face them. "I get why you want this Lurlinemas to be special," she said gently, bending down to be level with Nessa.

"I really do, I wouldn't have agreed to doing something otherwise. But I _really _hate surprises. Can we just do something quiet? That I know all the details of beforehand? Please?"

Nessa and Galinda exchanged a glance.

"Of course, Elphie," Galinda agreed.

"I think it's important that you rest," Nessa added with a nod.

Elphaba smiled. "Thank you."

She let Fiyero help her stand, although she didn't feel the need for assistance.

"So, what are we doing now?" Boq asked.

"We could go get lunch?" Nessa suggested.

Elphaba hesitated and looked over to Fiyero. "Actually, can we talk? Privately?"

Fiyero's brow creased in surprise. "Of course. Er... my room?"

"Sure," she agreed.

They bid the others farewell, and headed to Fiyero's room. Once they'd entered, Fiyero immediately directed her to the sofa.

"Are you okay? I know it was kind of a lot of information you got this morning," he asked in concern, hanging up their coats.

Elphaba chuckled as she sat down. "That's an understatement. I guess I still had it in my head that even though I had cancer, if wouldn't be that bad."

"We all did," Fiyero replied, sitting beside her.

"It's just.. you hear Stage 2... or stage 2B, I guess, and it doesn't sound that bad. But then Dr Crowe says that its 'unfavourable'. And all the treatment... I just... it's a lot to take in."

Her voice broke as she choked out the end of that sentence, and when she met Fiyero's gaze, he saw unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

"Is it dumb that I don't want to lose my hair?" she choked out.

Fiyero's face softened, and he reached over to cup her cheek in one hand, running his fingers through the long, black strands.

"It's not dumb," he murmured. "I love your hair."

Elphaba caught his hand and brought it down to rest on her lap, covering it with her other hand.

Fiyero watched her gently stroke the back of his hand in silence, and the feeling of unease in his gut increased. Somehow, he felt that this was about more than Elphaba's hair.

"Fae, what's going on? Talk to me," he urged.

Elphaba reached into her bag and pulled out the papers Dr Crowe had given her.

"I know you love me," she began.

Fiyero couldn't help but grin. "Well, that's good," he said, but Elphaba didn't return his grin.

Fiyero's grin faded. Elphaba wasn't acting nervous like she had been when she had told him about the cancer. This was different. But the look of pain in her eyes was the same.

"Elphaba?"

"I knew this wasn't going to be easy," she said avoiding his gaze. "But today... today I realised just how hard it's going to be. And not just on me, on everyone I love."

"The potions and the spells... the effects they're going to have on me... it's going to be hard. Physically... mentally, emotionally. It's a lot to deal with. And not just for me."

Fiyero saw where she was going with this. "Elphaba, don't."

"I'm just saying that... that if you want... an out, I'll understand," Elphaba whispered.

He practically lunged forward and grabbed her face in his hands. "Fae, where is this coming from?" he demanded. "I'm not going anywhere!"

Elphaba couldn't avoid his gaze when he had her face cupped like that, so she simply closed her eyes. Anything was better than having to see the look on his face.

"I told you. The treatments-"

"What, you think I'm not going to love you with no hair?!" Fiyero asked incredulously, hurt by the implication.

Elphaba's eyes flew open. "No!" she cried immediately.

"It's just... you're a prince."

That cleared nothing up for Fiyero. "Yes," he agreed absently.

Elphaba handed him the papers in her hand. "The treatments can have all kinds of long-term effects on the body," she whispered.

Fiyero reluctantly released her so that he could read the page she handed him.

There were all sorts of things listed under long term side effects of both the potions and radiation spells. Problems with the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys; osteoporosis; risks of developing other cancers. And then he saw one, and he knew immediately that it was what had caused Elphaba to react this way.

"Infertility."

"Fiyero, you need an heir," Elphaba whispered. "What if-"

Fiyero stopped her from saying anything more with a kiss, deepening the kiss so quickly Elphaba wouldn't have been able to push him away, even if she'd wanted to.

She tightly wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body up against him as he moved them so that she was lying back on the couch with him on top of her. Fiyero entwined his fingers in her hair, relishing the feel of the silky strands. When Elphaba began gasping for air between kisses, he trailed his lips down her neck and then back up to her mouth.

When the kisses finally became slower and softer, Fiyero pulled away. Both their breathing was ragged, and Fiyero's eyes were dark.

"I am _not," _he whispered, making sure she was paying close attention to what he was saying. "Going to throw away the chance of a life with you, for a _possibility. _Do you understand that?"

"But if-"

"No 'ifs'. I don't give a damn about 'ifs'. Elphaba, _none_ of these side effects are guaranteed. It's just a possibility. A maybe."

"Fiyero, there has to be an heir to the throne. I know that. If... if these treatments mean I can't have children, then-"

"Then we'll adopt!" Fiyero declared, pulling back from her and sitting up.

Elphaba hesitated. "Would Vinkun law even recognise an adopted child as heir?" she asked, sitting up too.

"I don't know, they'd have to!" Fiyero insisted. "I don't care. Fae-"

Fiyero paused for only a moment. This wasn't exactly how he'd pictured this moment, but he'd told Lau that he'd know when the right moment was. And it was now.

"Fae, I love you," he said earnestly, taking her hands in his and holding them tightly.

"I know-"

"No, you don't know. I love you. More than anything, or anyone. _You_ are the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, my soul mate. I'm talking about you and me, forever. And no _cancer _or anything else the universe wants to throw at us, is going to get in the way of that. I love you. I want a future with you. We'll find a way to have a child, or we won't. All I need is you in my life."

Fiyero looked at her solemnly. "If you can honestly tell me that you don't love me, and you don't want a life together; and that _isn't_ just another sacrifice of your own happiness like you've done your entire life, because you think for some _stupid_ reason that you're not good enough for me-"

It was Elphaba who cut him off with a kiss this time, kissing him fiercely as she moved over and straddled him in one motion. Fiyero responded eagerly, turning them so that they were in the same position that they had been before.

"I love you so much," she murmured breathlessly, breaking the kiss and gently caressing his face.

Fiyero softly kissed the palm of her hand, gently moving slightly so that they were lying on the couch side by side, facing one another. "I love you too. And I'm not going anywhere. _Ever_. You can't get rid of me that easily," he said, a teasing light in his eyes.

Elphaba sighed shakily, and tightened her grip on him. Fiyero certainly wasn't complaining, and pulled her closer to him, sweetly kissing the top of her head, and slipping one leg to rest between hers.

"Are you sure?" she whispered.

"Positive," he replied firmly. "I'm in this just as much as you are. Every step."

Elphaba couldn't help but find comfort in that.

**AN. For those of you who don't read my blog, I talked a lot about how the main issue I had with this story was how it would be treated. Because chemotherapy didn't exist until the 1950s, but they did have radiation available. So, I basically just added magic to chemo but with the same basic purpose, components, side effects, etc.**

**Also, there's a new poll on my profile. Vote please!**


	17. Chapter 17

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. I know a lot of you were waiting for this!**

**Chapter Seventeen**

_Knock, Knock_

"Elphaba? Fiyero?"

Fiyero woke with a start, and almost knocked Elphaba off the couch. Startled, he quickly steadied her, and tried to get his bearings. He looked at the time, and was stunned to see that it was five thirty in the afternoon.

He didn't even recall he and Elphaba falling asleep, and he was amazed not only that time had gone so fast, but that Elphaba was still sleeping. He supposed the cancer really was taking its toll on her.

There was another knock on the door, and this time Fiyero recognised Galinda's voice calling out to them. Carefully getting up so as to not disturb Elphaba, Fiyero managed to get up and stumble to the door, finding not only Galinda on the other side, but Nessa and Boq too.

"Hey, what's up?" he yawned.

"We wanted to see if you and Elphaba wanted to get dinner," Boq replied. "Were you asleep?"

"Yeah," Fiyero admitted.

"Is Elphaba still here?" Nessa asked, in confusion.

Fiyero wordlessly opened the door wider, so they could see Elphaba's sleeping form on the couch.

"Is she okay?" Galinda asked worriedly.

"She's fine, Glin," Fiyero reassured her.

Nessa looked just as concerned. "Maybe we shouldn't wake her?" she suggested.

"Then stop making so much noise," came Elphaba's sleepy reply from the couch, and Fiyero grinned.

"Dinner, Fae?" he called to her gently.

She didn't open her eyes. "Do I have a choice?"

"No," he replied readily.

They were all in agreement to get Elphaba to eat as much as possible to keep up her strength.

"Then why ask?" she grumbled, but opened her eyes and sat up.

Once Elphaba had splashed her face with cold water and had woken herself up somewhat, the group headed out of the boys' dormitory building, discussing where to have dinner.

They hadn't gone far when a voice called out.

"Elphaba."

The familiar voice startled Elphaba, and she whirled around, facing the person heading towards them. Stunned silence fell over their group, but no one was more stunned than Elphaba.

"_Father?"_

"Father!"

Nessarose's greeting was far warmer than Elphaba's had been, but no less surprised. As the others stood there gaping, Nessa wheeled herself forward to greet Frex.

"Nessa. How are you, sweetheart?"

Elphaba was really not in the mood to stand around and listen to idle chitchat.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, talking over Nessa's response.

Frex looked over and met her gaze. There was an odd expression on his face Elphaba couldn't interpret.

"Elphaba."

His voice was strange, it actually unnerved Elphaba. She'd never heard her father use that voice before.

"What are you doing here?" she asked again, her tone softer.

Frex looked surprised at the question. "I got your sister's letter."

Elphaba felt like responding with 'and?' but she didn't.

"I apologise for my lack of response, Nessa," Frex addressed Nessa gently. "I was on business in Appleton and didn't get back until two days ago. I came as soon as I could make the arrangements back home."

"I'm so glad you came," Nessa answered him, sounding relieved.

_Well, that made one of them, _Elphaba thought. She couldn't even fathom that her father was here, not least as to why.

"Fae, we should get you inside," Fiyero interjected softly, his tone filled with worry. "It's freezing out here, and you heard Dr Crowe. You can't afford to get sick."

Bewildered, it took Elphaba a moment to comprehend what he was saying.

"Yero, I'm fine," she reassured him tenderly, taking his hand as she saw the concern in his eyes.

"Dr Crowe? Is he your doctor?" Frex asked swiftly.

Elphaba looked back at her father. "Yes," she said warily.

"Well, I want to talk to him," he said bluntly. "He'll need to transfer your file over to the doctors in Munchkinland."

Although Elphaba had half expected this, Frex's clear unspoken declaration of taking her back to Munchkinland still made Elphaba's heart leap into her throat.

"No!" she cried quickly.

Frex looked shocked. "No?" he repeated.

"I don't want to go back to Munchkinland," Elphaba replied, unable to keep a note of panic out of her voice at the idea. Hating that, she forced herself to clam her tone. "I like my doctor here."

Frex stared at her for a moment, and then he cleared his throat awkwardly as his gaze shifted from his eldest daughter to her friends and Nessa.

"Elphaba, I don't think this is the time or the place to discuss this."

"No, it's not the time," Elphaba agreed. "We were on our way to get dinner."

"You could join us, Father," Nessarose suggested, and if Elphaba had been closer to her sister, she would have pinched her.

She kept very still, her hand tightening on Fiyero's of her own accord, mentally furiously willing Frex to refuse the invitation, but he seemed pleased.

"Thank you, Nessa. That would be lovely."

Elphaba's shoulders sagged in defeat, but Nessa beamed. "_The Wilted Rose?" _she suggested to the others.

Boq was the only one to respond, with a dumb nod. The others seemed too shocked.

"Oh great, the World's Most Awkward Dinner," Elphaba mumbled in an undertone to the others as they walked.

"Maybe I'll just go to the cafeteria?" Galinda suggested, but Elphaba grabbed her arm.

"No way. You're coming."

"The bright side?" Fiyero asked.

"He might pay for dinner?" Elphaba guessed hopefully.

Fiyero grinned. "Well, there is that. But also... this kind of looks like a sign that he cares."

Elphaba laughed hollowly. "Yeah. Who would have guessed?"

When they reached _The Wilted Rose, _they grabbed a table and sat down.

"Order something with protein," Fiyero ordered Elphaba, handing her a menu.

She glared at him, but didn't protest.

"I'll have a BLT," she decided, closing the menu after perusing it. "What, bacon has protein!" she argued, seeing the unhappy look Fiyero was giving her.

"That's _all_ you're going to eat? A sandwich?"

"I'm not that hungry," she shrugged.

They had their orders taken, and when the food came, Elphaba was stunned as Fiyero took the side of fries he'd ordered with his meal and placed them in front of her.

"I am _not _going to eat all that," she said to him. "And I'm pretty sure fries don't have protein in them."

"No, but they're delicious," Fiyero grinned, waving the bowl under her nose.

Elphaba rolled her eyes and took the bowl from him.

Galinda giggled. "You two make me laugh."

Elphaba frowned. "I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not."

"Eat," Fiyero prodded her.

Elphaba reluctantly complied, half-heartedly eating her sandwich as she listened to the conversation around the table.

Nessa was telling Frex all about their first semester, and their trip to the Emerald City. The rest of them sat mostly in silence, Elphaba barely made it through half her BLT before she gave up.

"I'll eat it later," she promised Fiyero before he could say anything.

"OK," he agreed.

It wasn't until they'd finished eating that Frex turned to Elphaba.

"We need to talk."

"They can stay," Elphaba replied gesturing to the others.

Frex seemed hesitant.

"It's ok, Father," Nessa reassured him. "We all know everything. We've been with Elphaba through all her tests and doctor's appointments and everything."

"But maybe we shouldn't do it here," Galinda said, looking around.

"Is there anywhere private enough we can go?" Boq replied.

"My suite," Fiyero suggested. "No one will bother us in there, and it's got the fireplace."

Elphaba knew why he'd added that and rolled her eyes. "Fiyero, I'm fine. It's not _that _cold."

"Well, forgive me if I'm not taking any chances with your health."

Elphaba sighed as he held her coat up for her to put on. "Why don't you just put me in a bubble until this is all over?"

"I would if that would help," he replied with a grin and she couldn't help but smile.

Galinda's face lit up. "Oh, that would be so cool!"

Elphaba raised an eyebrow as she put her scarf and gloves on. "What? To come and go by bubble?"

"Yeah! Don't you think that would be so thrillifying?"

"And impractical. What if it popped? You'd be better off flying on a broom," Elphaba retorted.

"I'll just pay the bill and we can go," Fiyero ended their discussion swiftly before Galinda could reply.

Elphaba immediately reached for her bag to get out money, but Fiyero stopped her.

"I've got it, Fae. I'll get your sandwich wrapped up too."

When he'd gone, Galinda nudged Elphaba. "I know you keep complaining he's too overprotective, but you can't argue that he's incredibly sweet and chivalrous."

Elphaba couldn't and she smiled slightly. "Yeah, he is. But don't tell _him_ that, or he'll get worse," she warned her and Galinda giggled.

"I thought all girls _wanted_ guys to be chivalrous?" Boq questioned.

"Elphaba isn't 'all girls'," Nessa answered with a smile.

When they entered Fiyero's room, Fiyero invited them all to sit around the dining table.

"Anyone want coffee?"

"Hot chocolate?" Nessa asked hopefully, and Fiyero grinned.

"Sure."

"I'll help," Elphaba offered. "What's everyone else having?"

"Hot chocolate sounds good," Galinda agreed and Boq nodded.

"Father?" Elphaba asked.

"No thank you," Frex replied curtly.

Fiyero couldn't work out why Frex had suddenly turned so cold and silent. And then he noted the casual and familiar way Elphaba was moving around the small kitchen in his suite and he understood.

"Your father knows you've been here before," he whispered to her.

Elphaba frowned in bewilderment. "Yeah, so?"

"_So_, if looks could kill, I'd be a pile of ash right now," he hissed.

"Because I've been in your room?" Elphaba asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, well, I don't really think the reasons he's picturing in his head are exactly innocent," Fiyero replied.

"So... I shouldn't let slip that we spent all afternoon sleeping together?" Elphaba asked innocently.

He glared at her. "Elphaba," he said warningly.

"What, we did!"

"You know exactly how he'd interpret that-"

She couldn't help but laugh. "Relax, Yero. I'm not stupid enough to tell my father anything."

"Unless you want to give him a heart attack," Fiyero said knowingly.

Elphaba grinned. "Yeah."

Once they were all seated, Frex turned to Elphaba.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she replied automatically.

The others looked at her sceptically and Fiyero scoffed.

"At this moment, I feel fine," she replied pointedly.

She directed her gaze back to Frex.

"I don't want to go back to Munchkinland. I want to stay here."

"Elphaba, you can hardly expect to stay in school," Frex said impatiently.

"I've already spoken to Madame Morrible and she's agreed to make it work and let me stay enrolled," Elphaba answered calmly. "My doctor is here, and I like him. He's already arranged for me to start treatment on Monday."

"And we're not letting her go through this alone," Nessa spoke up in her sister's defence. "If you take Elphaba home, I'm coming too."

Frex looked stunned. "Nessa, you'd drop out? But your education-"

"Is not as important as Elphaba," Nessa cut him off firmly.

"We're all agreed," Fiyero added. "If Elphaba leaves, so do we all."

Frex was silent for a long time, looking at all their faces. Abruptly, Elphaba rose.

"Can you guys give us a minute?" she asked them.

"Of course," Nessa agreed immediately, visibly surprised.

Elphaba looked to her boyfriend.

"Can we borrow your bedroom for a few minutes?"

Fiyero nodded and Elphaba gestured for her father to come with her.

Frex seemed bewildered and confused, but he followed Elphaba into Fiyero's bedroom. Elphaba felt a little awkward, but the only other options for a private conversation was the bathroom or the hall.

"Why are you here?" she demanded.

Frex regarded her as though that was a dumb question. "I got Nessa's letter."

"So?"

He frowned. "Elphaba, this isn't like you have a cold or the flu. This is a serious matter."

"I know that."

"Why wouldn't I come?"

Elphaba gaped at him, completely lost for words. "You- you came to Shiz for _me_?" she asked finally.

"You're my daughter," Frex said, again in that tone that insinuated that the answer was obvious and he wasn't sure why Elphaba was even asking.

Elphaba almost retorted that it didn't seem as though that fact had been important to him in the past, but she was still too stunned to be sarcastic.

"And... you want me to go back to Munchkinland because..."

"Well, I can hardly spend too long away from Munchkinland," Frex replied.

In the past two weeks, Elphaba felt like she had taken one blow after the other. But the simple fact that her father had come to Shiz and was genuinely concerned about her health, was almost too much for her to take.

She sat down on the edge of Fiyero's bed, not sure what to say.

"I... I understand that, and I... appreciate that you want to stay, but Father... I don't want to leave. My doctor here is really great. I want to keep studying as much as I can and I don't... I don't want to be the reason my friends and Nessa drop out of school. Because they will, and they _will_ follow us back to Munchkinland if you take me back."

Frex didn't seem to have trouble believing that, and she could tell he didn't love that idea.

"Please let me stay?" she asked. "I don't really think there's anything you could do here anyway, even if I was in Munchkinland."

Frex was quiet and Elphaba was sure he was going to refuse. But once again, her father surprised her.

"I suppose I could rent a room in town... and stay as long as I can," he mused.

"You... you're going to stay? Here, in Shiz?"

"Yes," Frex answered and then he looked at her. "Unless you want me to leave?"

It seemed funny and also wrong, but it was at that moment Elphaba realised just how sick she was. If it was bad enough for her father to be willing to leave Munchkinland for a long period of time to be at _her _side, and not Nessa's... it was bad. She couldn't remember her father ever making her a priority. Ever.

Frex noticed she had turned rather pale.

"Elphaba? Are you alright?"

His voice sounded distant in her ears. In fact, she was feeling rather hot suddenly and there didn't seem to be any air in the room.

"I- I just..."

She rose shakily to her feet, intending just to open the window and let some fresh air in. And then the room swirled around her, and as spots danced before her eyes, Elphaba fainted.


	18. Chapter 18

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**An. First of all, I'm glad everyone liked the bubble/broom thing. I did too, haha. **

**Secondly, yes, Frex will be enrolling in "Elphaba Is Awesome 101" whilst he's in town. He shall be learning a lot.**

**And as for the fainting, guys give Elphaba a break. She just got all this info on the cancer, then tried to break up with Fiyero and then her father turned up and is surprisingly not an asshole. She's a tad overwhlemed. **

**Chapter Eighteen**

Elphaba could admit that the reason she hated surprises so much was because they involved things she didn't know about and couldn't control. For someone as organised as Elphaba, the unknown and leaving things in the hands of other people was not a comforting thought.

And she was quickly discoverating that having cancer meant there were many things she couldn't control and many surprises. So in hindsight, it made sense that it had all finally caught up with her and was already starting to take an emotional toll on her.

And the surprises kept coming.

Her fainting had terrified everyone, not least Elphaba herself. She had come to and found herself lying on Fiyero's bed, with a damp washcloth on her forehead. Nessa and Galinda had both looked like they had been crying, and Fiyero looked as white as a ghost.

In the room with everyone, Elphaba had blamed it on a lack of food, and hadn't protested when Fiyero practically forced the other half of her BLT down her throat. But later, when Galinda had prodded, Elphaba had admitted to her best friend that it had most likely been the extreme emotional toll of everything that had happened that day.

That included her talk with Fiyero, and Galinda had been horrified to hear that Elphaba had essentially tried to break up with him earlier that day. But when Elphaba had explained her reasons, especially the possible long-term side effects of the treatments, Galinda's heart had gone out to her.

"Oh, Elphie! That must have been awful," she whispered.

"It was harder than telling him I had cancer in the first place," Elphaba agreed. "But... I thought he should have the option..."

"And how do you feel that he refused?" Galinda asked carefully. It would be just like her friend to push Fiyero- or any of them- away from her in a time like this.

"Relieved," Elphaba admitted. "I don't think I could do this without him."

Galinda sat beside her and pulled her best friend into a tight hug. "You don't have to. He's not going anywhere. None of us are."

Elphaba managed a small smile. "He told me."

Galinda cocked her head. "Told you what?"

Elphaba blushed slightly. "He told me-"

Galinda cut her off with a squeal. "He told you that you're The One?"

"I think 'soul mate' was the word he used," Elphaba replied and Galinda hugged her again tightly.

"Oh, Elphie! I'm so happy for you!"

Then she frowned. "So that made you faint?"

Elphaba smiled. "No. I guess... between hearing all the news from Dr Crowe about the treatments and the statistics, and the side effects... and then Fiyero..."

"And your father," Galinda said knowingly.

Elphaba nodded. "It's weird. I keep thinking that I've accepted it. You know, I have cancer, which is obviously bad. But until my father turned up... that's really what made me realise how serious this is. For him to be here, and I think actually be genuinely worried... I once fell out of a tree in our back garden when I was twelve. I was knocked unconscious and broke my ankle, and my father's only concern was Nessa, because she saw it happen and totally freaked out. He's never showed any real care or concern for me before."

"Well... maybe that's something good that will come out of this?" Galinda suggested. "It could bring the two of you closer."

Elphaba laughed. "Maybe they should make that the tagline. '_Cancer- it sucks, but it brings estranged family members together.'" _

Galinda rolled her eyes. "I'm glad you can still be sarcastic about this."

"It's better than the alternative," Elphaba retorted and Galinda had to agree.

She still couldn't quite believe that Frex was actually here and intending to stay. But it seemed he did intend to follow through. Frex had gone to the hospital the next day and met with Dr Crowe to get all the information on Elphaba's prognosis and treatments, and on Monday afternoon he announced to his daughters that he had found an apartment in town to rent for the time being.

"How long are you staying?" Nessa asked eagerly.

She was thrillified about having her father close by, because it meant having another family member here to rely on. For that reason, Elphaba was glad he had come.

"I'll be here until after Lurlinemas," Frex reassured her. "Then I have some business back home to take care of, but I'll be back as soon as I can."

And it turned out Frex wasn't the only surprise visitor the group would have for the holidays.

"Sooo... my parents are here."

Elphaba looked up in alarm, gaping at Fiyero. "_What?_ Why?"

"To see us."

Elphaba gaped even further. "Us?"

Fiyero laughed. "Yes, us. As in you and me."

Elphaba was completely flustered. It was Tuesday afternoon. She had been in the student common room, reading up on a book she had found in the library on the use of magic in treating diseases, when Fiyero had casually strolled in and made his announcement.

"When you say 'here'," she began anxiously.

Fiyero smiled as he sat down beside her. "They're not '_here' _here. They just stopped by, and now they're going to the hotel to check in."

"What did they say?" Elphaba demanded.

"That they were really looking forward to meeting you, and when they heard the news; they wanted to make the trip to meet you and offer you their support."

Elphaba was both surprised and touched. "That's very sweet of them."

Fiyero nodded, he had been incredibly pleased when his parents had told him their reason for showing up at Shiz.

"Well, they want to take us out for dinner tonight."

"Oh."

Elphaba felt a wave of nerves hit her. "Dinner with your parents. Ok."

"Hey," Fiyero soothed her, taking her hand. "They're going to _love _you, I promise. I'm pretty sure they already do- they wouldn't have come all this way otherwise."

Elphaba bit her lip. "Ok. Do you know where we're going?"

He nodded. "Yeah, they asked me for recommendations. I told them _Blackthorne _was good, and I figured it's not too expensive or formal. So, I'll pick you up at six, alright?"

Elphaba nodded. "Sure," she agreed and then sighed. "Do you know where Galinda is?"

Fiyero frowned. "Er, I think she was in the cafeteria with Boq. Why do you need her?"

"Because- and I can't believe I'm saying this," Elphaba grumbled. "But I need her advice on clothes. I have no idea what you're supposed to wear when you meet your boyfriend's parents."

Fiyero grinned and kissed her softly. "Don't let her Galindafy you _too_ much," he warned her. "You just need to be yourself."

Elphaba bid him goodbye and headed over to the cafeteria, finding her friend sitting there with Boq.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?"

"Talking about Lurlinemas," Galinda smiled at her. "Boq was asking for gift ideas for Nessa."

"Oh, well are you busy? I need your help."

Galinda looked surprised and intrigued. Those weren't words she heard from Elphaba very often.

"Sure, Elphie. What's up?"

Elphaba didn't even bother sitting down, knowing as soon as Galinda heard, she'd be dragged back to their room.

"Fiyero's parents just arrived and want to take the two of us out for dinner tonight," she explained.

Galinda gasped in excitement. "Oh my Oz! That's so thrillifying!"

Elphaba braced herself. "So, I need your help... finding something to wear."

As she'd predicted, Galinda's face lit up. "_Really? _Oh, Elphie of _course! _How long do we have?"

"Fiyero's picking me up at six. We're going to _Blackthorne."_

Galinda checked the time, it was almost three. "Well, that's a bit tight, but we'll manage."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "You know, it doesn't make me feel good when you say things like that," she complained, but Galinda ignored her.

"Come on, let's go."

Elphaba barely managed to wave goodbye to Boq before she was pulled away. Galinda chattered happily all the way back to their room; but as she stood before Elphaba's open closet, she suddenly went very quiet.

"Glin?" Elphaba asked in concern. "What's wrong? My clothes aren't _that _bad, are they?" she teased lightly.

Galinda turned to face her soberly. "I was just thinking... this will probably be the last time you get dressed up for a while."

Elphaba thought about that, and realised she was right. She couldn't imagine she'd have much reason or energy to get dressed up after Friday, once her treatments started.

Although the idea didn't make her as sad as it did Galinda, Elphaba swallowed her distaste for makeovers and forced a bright smile for her best friend.

"Well, then let's make this one special, right?"

Galinda beamed. "Right."

Elphaba made a conscious effort not to complain as Galinda went through her entire closet and then her own until she found something she deemed was suitable for the occasion. Finally, she handed Elphaba from her own closet.

"Here, try this."

It was a long sleeved shift dress that sat off the shoulders. It was a metallic black in colour, but had little bits of gold entwined to create a shimmery look.

"When did you get this?" Elphaba asked, taking it from her. It was a very unGalindalike dress.

Galinda shrugged. "I wore it to a party last year- the theme was black and white, but I couldn't find a nice black dress. It'll be a bit shorter on you than me, obviously, but we'll pair it with tights and boots and it'll look amazing."

Elphaba was a bit wary about the length, but when she put the dress on, she found that the dress reached just a few inches above the knee.

"I thought this would be good because it's black, so you can't protest that it clashes with your skin. And it covers your arms, so it'll keep you a little bit warmer."

Elphaba thought that argument was a bit redundant given the length of the dress, but she didn't say so. She knew her friends were all being a bit overprotective these days when it came to things like keeping her warm and making sure she ate. Sleep wasn't an issue, because it felt like all she did was sleep.

Elphaba owned black tights, and Galinda pulled a large box from under her bed, much to Elphaba's surprise.

"It's one of your Lurlinemas presents," she explained. "I bought them ages ago... I wasn't sure I should still give them to you."

"Glin, you know I don't want people to treat me differently, _especially_ you guys. So, I'm sure you had some incredibly amusing point behind this gift," Elphaba teased and Galinda grinned.

"I do. I figure if you're going to wear boots all the time, they might as well be fashionable!"

Elphaba opened the box and pulled out a pair of high heeled, knee-length boots, made of a faux velvety material.

Elphaba smiled. "Thank you, Galinda."

She hugged her friend tightly, and Galinda's eyes were filled with tears as she pulled away.

"Come on, we'll do your hair."

Galinda carefully brushed out Elphaba's long hair, arranging into soft waves and pinning the sides back with a simple golden hair pin. As she was finishing applying Elphaba's makeup, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it. It had better not be your boyfriend, or I'll kill him. He's fifteen minutes early," Galinda grumbled as she headed to the door.

Elphaba chuckled, taking the opportunity to duck into the bathroom to brush her teeth before Galinda did her lips. Fortunately for Fiyero's life, it wasn't him but Nessa who was on the other side.

"Hey, Nessa. Elphie's in the bathroom," Galinda informed her with a warm smile as she let Nessa inside the room.

"How was your day?" Elphaba asked her little sister, calling out from within the bathroom

Nessa had spent the entire day giving Frex a thorough tour of the campus and the town.

"It was really great," Nessa gushed, beaming happily. "I wish you had felt up to coming with us, Fabala. But we're going to go get dinner, and we thought we'd invite you. Father and I agreed it would be lovely to have a family dinner."

Elphaba shut off the tap with a grimace.

"Oh. Um..."

She stepped out of the bathroom with an apologetic glance, and saw Nessa's eyes widened as she took in her appearance.

"Fiyero's parents just arrived today. They're taking us to dinner tonight," she explained.

"And normally I'd invite you, but... I don't want to meet my boyfriend's parents for the first time with my sister and father. It's honestly bad enough to meet them for the first time having cancer."

Nessa smiled faintly. "That's a really important step, Elphaba. You look great. I'm sure Fiyero's parents will love you."

"Are you really worried about the fact that you're sick?" Galinda frowned.

"I don't want them to treat me differently because I'm sick," Elphaba shrugged.

Galinda caught a glimpse of the time and let out a short squeal of alarm.

"Oh! Quickly, Elphie- let me finish your makeup," she said hastily, pushing Elphaba back to the vanity.

Nessa stayed to watch as Galinda performed her handiwork on Elphaba; and as Elphaba studied her reflection critically.

"I always expect to look different," she said quietly.

"Different how?" Nessa asked her, frowning.

"Like I have cancer," Elphaba said simply. "But... you can't see it. It's there, its inside me, but I look no different. Well, except for this," she added, gently touching the scar on her neck from where they had done the biopsy.

She didn't count the matching one under her arm, because she could easily avoid seeing that one if she wished.

"You're too thin, that's different," Galinda retorted.

Elphaba smiled. "Well, I always have you guys here to force food on me."

Galinda grinned. "That's what friends are for, Elphie."

Fiyero turned up a few minutes before six, looking slightly disconcerted.

"Um, why..."

He trailed off as he saw Elphaba, and his puzzled expression turned to a soft smile.

"Wow. You look amazing," he complimented her.

Elphaba could never stop herself from blushing whenever Fiyero complimented her appearance- especially because it was always accompanied by that soft, awed look that made her shiver.

"What were you saying?" she asked, and Fiyero paused for a moment, trying to reclaim his train of thought.

"Oh, right. Um, why is your father standing awkwardly in the foyer? I was treated to another one of his death glares when I came up here."

Nessa gasped, she had quite forgotten about her father.

"Oh my Oz! I forgot. We're going to dinner," she explained. "I should go, I've kept him waiting for too long."

"We'll come down with you," Elphaba said, grabbing her coat, scarf and gloves.

The three said goodbye to Galinda and headed out. Sure enough, when they reached the foyer of the building, Frex was standing there and looking incredibly uncomfortable. As he looked over Elphaba, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Er, Fabala can't join us for dinner, Father. She and Fiyero are going to dinner with his parents," Nessa explained.

Frex looked surprised. "Your parents are here?" he asked Fiyero.

"Yes, sir. They surprised me earlier, and asked to take Elphaba and I out for dinner. They were very much looking forward to meeting her over the break and when I wrote that our plans had changed, they decided to come to Shiz."

Elphaba shrugged into her coat. "We should go, they're expecting us."

"Right," Fiyero agreed.

"Have a good night," Elphaba said to Nessa and then she and Fiyero left.

Elphaba held Fiyero's hand tightly as headed into the night air.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" Fiyero asked her.

Elphaba smiled. "I'm feeling really good today. I don't even feel that tired," she reassured him.

"And you'll-"

"I'll let you know if that changes," she promised with a fond roll of her eyes.

As they approached _Blackthorne, _Elphaba grew more and more nervous.

"Here we go. Just relax," Fiyero murmured to her as he held the door open for her.

They had their coats taken from them, and then the host began to lead them to a table in the back. As they approached, Elphaba could see two people there waiting for them. The man was pretty much how Elphaba envisioned Fiyero would look like in thirty years. His hair was mostly gray, but there were touches of dark brown hair; but father and son shared the same facial features and colouring. As the king and queen rose to their feet, Elphaba also observed he was about two inches taller than Fiyero.

The queen just looked the very essence of royal. Elphaba knew from Fiyero that although his mother had married into the royal family; her father had been a Lord of one of the oldest, most noble Vinkun families. She was also tall, and her hair was still a dark blonde that matched Fiyero's hair. But she didn't appear intimidating, neither of his parents did. To Elphaba, they both seemed warm and gentle people. It helped set her at ease a little.

"Hi," Fiyero greeted his parents when they were in earshot.

He pecked his mother's cheek lightly and briefly hugged his father, before stepping back to grab Elphaba's hand securely once more.

"Mom, Dad, this is Elphaba. These are my parents, Ibrahim and Kasmira," he introduced her proudly to his parents.

Elphaba suddenly experienced a moment of panic, as she realised she probably should have gotten certain details from Fiyero beforehand- like, how she was supposed to address his parents, and whether or not she was supposed to curtsey.

Luckily, Fiyero's mother solved that problem for her, immediately stepping forward and offering her hands to Elphaba.

"Elphaba, it's so nice to finally meet you," she said with a warm smile, taking her hands and kissing her cheek. "I hope Fiyero didn't spring our arrival on you at the last minute."

Elphaba didn't really know what to say, but she shook her head as the queen released her. "Uh, no he didn't. And thank you. It's- it's nice to meet you too."

"We've heard so much about you from Fiyero," Ibrahim added, taking her hand and raising it to his lips.

"Good things I hope," Elphaba said with a weak smile.

"The best," he returned with a smile and Elphaba's smile was more genuine this time.

It was obvious in an instant where Fiyero got his charm from.

Fiyero shot her a quizzical look when he saw the faint smirk that crossed her face as they moved to take their seats. She minutely shook her head, signalling she would explain later.

Once they'd ordered, Kasmira turned to Elphaba.

"Fiyero said that you wouldn't want to discuss it, and Ibrahim and I completely understand that; but we wanted to say how terribly upset we were to hear that you're sick."

"If there's anything we can do, we hope that you'll let us know," Ibrahim added.

"Thank you, and I appreciate the offer. It's very kind of you," Elphaba answered immediately, beyond touched by the gesture. "I'm... I'm very lucky to have people around me."

There was a moment of silence as Fiyero took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Well," Kasmira said brightly. "Now, Elphaba, we really want to get to know you. It feels like we already do, thanks to Fiyero; but it's not quite the same thing."

Elphaba flushed. "Well, I'm sure Fiyero exaggerates."

"Hey!" Fiyero protested. "There's been no exaggeration!"

"I can vouch for that," Ibrahim defended his son. "You're much more beautiful than Fiyero let on," he added with a wink and Elphaba blushed deeper.

"So it's _my_ fault there's no words to describe her?" Fiyero demanded.

"Elphaba, why don't you tell us about yourself?" Kasmira intervened, seeing how embarrassed Elphaba was.

The dinner passed swiftly, and Elphaba found Fiyero's parents were just as lovely as they'd first appeared to be. They both made an effort to put her at ease and get to know her. Ibrahim asked many questions about her studies and interests, especially books she read; and Kasmira was just as concerned as Fiyero about how little Elphaba managed to eat and her health. And it was Kasmira who asked all the questions about Elphaba's family and her and Fiyero's relationship.

"How long are you here for?" Elphaba asked them.

"We'll be here until the new year," Ibrahim replied.

"Well, I can't say our Lurlinemas will be too thrillifying, but I hope you'll join us," Elphaba invited them.

Kasmira smiled. "That would be lovely, Elphaba. We'd love to."

Elphaba smiled. Maybe they could salvage a good Lurlinemas out of this mess after all.

Before they left that night, they made plans for Ibrahim and Kasmira to join everyone for lunch the next day- including Frex. Elphaba figured they should get it over and done with, and she did want Fiyero's parents to meet Nessa.

"They loved you. I told you they would," Fiyero sang happily in her ear as they walked slowly back to her dorm.

Elphaba leaned her head tiredly on his shoulder, her arm tucked through his. She was tired, but a good tired. It was the tired that came from a good night out, not the constant draining fatigue she always associated with the cancer.

"I liked them too," she said with a smile. "You're a lot like your parents. Especially your dad."

"Is that a good thing?" Fiyero asked hesitantly and she chuckled.

"Yes. It makes me wonder..."

"Wonder what, Fae?" he asked gently.

Elphaba looked up at him. "How anyone who knows your parents ever believed that Dancing Through Life crap. Because I just spent two hours with them, and I can tell immediately that there was no way you could ever _genuinely_ be the way you used to act."

Fiyero stopped walking, turned to her and kissed her softly. "And _that_ is why I love you. Because no one ever did see that," he murmured.

Elphaba just smiled.

"You know, our conversation the other day, everything I told you... I don't know if it really came across the way I wanted it to."

Elphaba frowned. "In what way?" she asked uncertainly.

"Well... I had this whole thing planned, and it was supposed to be really romantic. I had this big speech..."

Elphaba laughed and rolled her eyes. "Yero, it was perfect," she reassured him quietly.

Fiyero was pleased with that, but he still had more to say.

"Yeah, well. In the moment there were still some things I wanted to say that I forgot."

As they entered her dorm building, Fiyero cleared his throat.

"Did I ever tell you why I wanted to meet you? The first time?"

Elphaba wasn't expecting the question and had to stop and think about that.

"Um... no. I don't think so," she answered, even surprised by the answer. It sounded strange to her that they hadn't discussed it, but if they had, she couldn't recall the answer.

"It was er... mine and Galinda's two month anniversary," he began awkwardly. "I didn't even know it had been that long, let alone that it was our anniversary. And when she told me, I just remember... it shook me. Because two months was a long time for me, to be in a relationship; and two months seemed like it meant... like it was serious. And it made me think- and yes, I know that's a big deal and haha, insert joke here," he said before Elphaba could, which made her laugh.

"But Galinda was going on about how she wanted to talk about our future, which I'd never thought of before. And when I was forced to think about it, I realised that Galinda and I didn't have a future. I had no deep feelings for her."

Elphaba was silent, listening intently as they turned down her hallway.

"I've always thought my parents had a great relationship. Because they're equals. They share the same values, they respect one another even when they have different opinions. And they have this amazing connection. When I was thinking about it, I knew that was the kind of marriage I wanted."

As they neared Elphaba and Galinda's dorm room, Fiyero gently pulled her to a stop in the hall and slid his arms around her waist.

"And I realised the only person I'd ever felt that kind of connection with before... was you. So I decided I had to meet you. And well... the rest is history."

Elphaba rested her hands on his shoulders.

"Well..." she said finally. "I guess we owe Galinda more than I first thought."

Fiyero hadn't thought about it that way. "I guess so," he agreed. "But don't tell her that or she'll want to collect," he quickly added and Elphaba laughed.

She reached up and kissed him. "Thank you for telling me that. I love you."

Fiyero smiled and tenderly returned the kiss. "I love you too, Fae."

Elphaba felt the same, and she knew that Fiyero was her future. She hoped he knew that, even if she hadn't said it in so many words. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but she couldn't help but feel is she said it so boldly, it might be jinxing the future she had really only just begun to allow herself to dream of.

**AN. I just thought I'd update you on _Offspring, _the Australian show I mentioned a few chapters ago that had the absolutely tragic death of one of it's characters. Well, last night was the funeral. I cried a _lot. _I think the scene that got to me most was when Nina (the main character) was talking with her sister about being afraid that she wasn't going to be able to love the baby because Patrick (the father) was gone, and she'd been thinking that she'd rather have Patrick than the baby. And then her sister said "I'll cover you. I'll love the baby until you're ready." **

**I mean, seriously. I was a mess. And then Nina went into labour and had a baby girl. And that's the end of the season. **

**There's been a lot of press about the storyline here. And I just read an interview with one of the writers and I came across this quote, and I thought it fit how I felt about this story (just substitute 'death' with 'cancer'): "Death is not a narrative gimmick." I mean, there was more but that was the bit that got me.**


	19. Chapter 19

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. The second half of this chapter is one of my favourite parts of the whole story.**

**And to Elphaba'sGirl- what kind of sacrifice are we talking? **

**Chapter Nineteen**

Ibrahim and Kasmira knew that Fiyero had always been popular. Since he was a child, he had never had a shortage of people to play with. But they also knew that he had few real friends, people who liked him for who he was and looked beyond his title of prince. Lau had become one, in Fiyero's short time at the CEC; but it had really been since he had come to Shiz that he had found a group of good friends.

The king and queen knew this, and they had been incredibly happy to hear this news- wasn't that what all parents wanted for their children? To find real friends who accepted and loved you as you were- including flaws and quirks? As grateful as they were to Fiyero's friends, it had been Elphaba they were most eager to meet, naturally.

It had become very apparent over the summer that Fiyero had fallen in love with the Munchkinland Governor's green daughter. Even if Fiyero hadn't mentioned her about a dozen times a day, his parents would have picked it up by the dramatic change that had come over their son.

He had returned home to the Vinkus quieter, and less inclined to go out to parties. He was more grounded, and happier than Ibrahim and Kasmira could ever recall seeing him. And when he had first mentioned Elphaba, they knew it was serious.

So they had been really looking forward to- and rather curious, about meeting the girl they had heard so much about; and who had brought about such a change in their son. And then Fiyero's letter had arrived with the news of Elphaba's diagnosis.

It had been no question for Kasmira that the news meant they would travel to Shiz, and Ibrahim agreed with his wife whole-heartedly. They wanted to offer their support not only to Elphaba, but to Fiyero and their other friends.

And that was how Kasmira found herself on a shopping trip with Galinda Upland and Nessarose Thropp, the day before Lurlinemas Eve and the day before Elphaba's first treatment. Elphaba had intended to come with them, despite her unabashed apathetic attitude for shopping; but she had begged fatigue and was spending her day on bed rest.

"I don't think she got much sleep last night," Galinda explained. "She won't admit it, but I know she's anxious about tomorrow."

"That's very understandable," Kasmira nodded. "I'm sure it's very stressful not knowing exactly what's going to happen."

Nessa smiled faintly. "Elphaba doesn't like anything she can't control. And she really can't control any of this situation."

The plans for today had been made during lunch the day before, when Kasmira had mentioned she still needed to get a few Lurlinemas presents.

"Fiyero's never been easy to shop for," the queen said fondly as they browsed. "Not even as a boy."

"I never usually have trouble, but this year it was hard to get Elphie something," Galinda admitted. "She's funny about gifts at the best of times, but now... I had an idea the other day, but then I thought I should get her something that wouldn't make her think of what she was going through."

"I had the same problem," Nessa agreed.

"Well, why don't you tell me what it is and perhaps I can offer some advice?" Kasmira asked them.

Galinda and then Nessa told her what they had been thinking, and Kasmira smiled.

"I have an idea."

Three hours later, they returned to campus. Kasmira came with them, wanting to call upon Elphaba. When they entered the room, Elphaba was sitting at the window, seemingly staring across the grounds.

"How are you feeling, Fabala?" Nessa asked her sister and Elphaba forced a smile.

"Fine."

Kasmira thought she looked rather pale.

"Are you sure, dear?"

Elphaba nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."

"What did you do this morning?" Galinda asked gently.

"Slept," Elphaba admitted. "And then... I've been thinking."

"About tomorrow?" Galinda sat down, her brow creased with concern for her best friend. "Because I know it's scary, Elphie. But thinking about it won't help."

"It's more about what comes after tomorrow. All the side effects. And I've been thinking about what Michi said-"

"Michi?" Kasmira interrupted.

"The... counsellor/psychologist, whatever her title is that the hospital is making me see," Elphaba explained.

"I see her tomorrow too. Before it all starts. But she was saying how fighting cancer is just as much a mental battle as anything else."

"I've heard that before, it certainly makes sense," Kasmira agreed.

"Well, I've been thinking that if I take control of what I can, it will help with all that."

Nessa frowned. "What can you control?"

"I want to cut my hair," Elphaba announced.

Galinda and Nessa both gaped at her.

"Elphaba! You've _never _cut your hair!" Nessa exclaimed in shock.

"I know," Elphaba replied. "But... chances are I'm going to lose it anyway. And if it's shorter... I don't think it would be such a shock then to wake up and find all _this _on my pillow," she said, holding up a lock of her waist-length hair as evidence.

That sounded reasonable to Kasmira, and Nessa looked as though she agreed with her sister. Galinda still seemed to be in shock.

"You'd cut it today?" she finally asked.

Elphaba nodded. "I was thinking of it, yes. Although, I was actually thinking _you _could cut it and save me going to a salon."

Galinda looked taken aback. "Me? Elphie, I couldn't-"

"It doesn't have to be perfect," Elphaba interjected. "Just shorter. You could do that."

Galinda thought about that carefully. "Well, I suppose..." she said finally.

"Great. You have a pair of scissors, don't you?"

"You want me do it _now?" _Galinda squawked in alarm.

Elphaba nodded firmly. "Yes. Before I change my mind."

That made sense to Galinda, so she agreed. Elphaba grabbed her desk chair to sit on so that she was at a level easier for Galinda, and her friend located the scissors. Nessa and Kasmira stayed, but kept out of the bathroom, which really wasn't big enough for four people.

"How short do you want it?" Galinda asked Elphaba as she brushed out the long locks.

Elphaba hadn't thought about that. She didn't want it too short, even though that was the purpose of cutting it in the first place.

"Why not cut it just to her shoulders?" Nessa suggested. "That way, if you're lucky enough not to lose it, it's still long enough to style and things?"

"Sure," Elphaba agreed, relieved not to have to make the decision.

Galinda was happy with that plan too, and separated a small section of hair from the rest as she picked up the scissors.

"Ok, here we go."

Galinda took a deep breath as she prepared to make the first cut. Maybe it was their imagination, but the air seemed to thicken with tension as they waited for that first snip.

"I can't," Galinda cried abruptly, taking a step back.

Elphaba's shoulders sagged and she sighed.

"Galinda-"

"I can't, I'm sorry! It feels like sacrilege to cut it. Your hair is so long and pretty!" Galinda said apologetically.

"I'll just do it myself," Elphaba replied and reached for the scissors.

Galinda moved them out of her reach hastily. "Ohh, no. You _never_ cut your own hair! That never ends well."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Well, then what do you suggest?"

Galinda winced. "Ok, ok. I'll do it. But under protest," she made sure to specify.

There was silence as Galinda got ready to make the first cut. When she finally did, and there came the unmistakable sound of scissors cutting through hair, followed by the first lock falling to the ground, it was hard to say who flinched more- Galinda or Elphaba.

"Well, I expect the first cut is the hardest," Nessa said encouragingly from the doorway.

"I hope so," Galinda muttered.

It took twenty minutes for Galinda to finish her job. She was thorough and precise, making sure every strand was the same length and that it was level. By the time she was finished, the bathroom floor was covered in strands of long, fine black hair.

"OK, Elphie. What do you think?" Galinda asked finally.

Elphaba studied her reflection. Her hair now sat on her collarbone and it was more of a shock than she had expected. But when she acknowledged that, she was glad she had made the decision to cut it. It would be far worse, she realised, to be seeing even longer strands on her pillow or hairbrush each morning.

Seeing the concerned gazes on everyone's face, Elphaba forced a smile.

"It's different, but it's fine. Thank you, Glin."

"I like it," Nessa offered supportively. "You did a good job, Galinda."

"It does look lovely," Kasmira agreed.

When the bathroom had been tidied and all the hair cleaned up, Kasmira turned to Elphaba.

"Do you need anything?"

Elphaba smiled gratefully. "I'm fine, thank you."

"You missed a great shopping trip," Galinda told her. When she saw the look her friend gave her, she giggled.

"OK, you missed a shopping trip. But you know if you had come we would have looked at the bookstore."

"That's true," Elphaba admitted.

"Are you feeling up to doing something for dinner later?" Nessa asked her.

"Sure," Elphaba agreed and turned to Kasmira. "Do you and Ibrahim have dinner plans?"

"As a matter of fact, we're dining with your father tonight," the queen responded. "But thank you for the invitation, Elphaba."

Elphaba was initially surprised by that news, but then figured it made sense. Not only because whilst Ibrahim and Kasmira had one another, Frex was here alone and all three might appreciate some company that weren't college students; but also given Elphaba and Fiyero's relationship, it linked the three rulers together.

"Well, have fun," she said, hoping she sounded sincere and not sarcastic.

Kasmira smiled. "Thank you."

To Elphaba's surprise, the queen reached out and hugged her.

"I'm sure we'll see you at some stage tomorrow, but Ibrahim and I decided we don't want to crowd you at the hospital. But good luck for tomorrow. I'm sure everything will go fine."

Elphaba thanked her, and after saying goodbye to Nessa and Galinda, the queen left.

"What were Fiyero and Boq doing today?" Elphaba asked the girls once they were alone.

She hadn't seen either boy all day.

"I think they were doing Lurlinemas shopping," Nessa replied. "I did ask them over breakfast, but they seemed rather secretive."

That didn't surprise Elphaba, and would also explain why Fiyero hadn't come by her room the second he heard she was staying in her room that day to rest.

"I wonder how Fiyero will react when he sees your hair," Nessa mused.

Elphaba grinned knowingly. "Probably as well as Galinda did."

A few hours later, the girls made their way to _The Wilted Rose_ for dinner. Galinda had ducked over to the boys' dormitory to leave a message for Fiyero and Boq that they could meet them there if they chose. She reported to Nessa and Elphaba that neither boy had actually been in their room.

However, Fiyero turned up just after they had ordered and as he made his way over to them, he suddenly paused in his steps, doing a small double-take when he saw Elphaba.

"Galinda did it," Elphaba said as soon as he was within earshot. "I decided that I should just cut it. Make it easier in case... well, you know."

Fiyero took the empty seat next to her, and gently reached out to run a finger through her shorter locks.

"I like it," he told her. "I mean, I obviously liked it before, but it looks good."

Elphaba smiled.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked her.

"I actually feel hungry," she replied. "That's a good sign, right?"

"It's also a sign you haven't eaten today," Nessa retorted and Elphaba rolled her eyes.

What really made Elphaba laugh however was when Boq eventually turned up, sat down, caught a glimpse of Elphaba and frowned.

"You look different somehow."

Galinda had rolled her eyes and explained as Elphaba laughed.

"Oh, right. Looks nice," he offered and Elphaba thanked him.

"Did you know our parents were having dinner together tonight?" Elphaba asked Fiyero as they ate.

Fiyero looked surprised. "No, really? Oz, I hope they don't talk about us," he grimaced.

Galinda frowned. "Why?"

"Well, A- it's creepy. And B- the Governor already hates me enough without my parents telling him anything."

"What could they tell him that could make him hate you _more?" _Elphaba asked and Fiyero thought about that.

"Actually, that's true. He can only hate me less from here."

"I don't think he hates you," Nessa protested. "He just... doesn't really like you."

"Which I'm sure is devastrating news to you," Elphaba said lightly.

Fiyero grinned. It wasn't like he wanted to be friends with Elphaba's father, but considering the fact he was in love with his daughter, Fiyero thought it would be useful if Frex at least kind of liked him.

After dinner, everyone said their goodnights and went their separate ways. The mood was very sombre- although all of them wanted to go to the hospital with Elphaba tomorrow and support her; it had been pre-arranged the day before that only Fiyero and Frex would be going. It had been Nessa's idea, knowing that if Fiyero had nothing to do but hang around and wait for her to return he would go mad- and drive everyone else mad in the process.

Nessa had originally been going too, but when Frex had announced his intention to go, she had decided to stay behind with Galinda and Boq. Elphaba knew it was because she wanted to encourage Elphaba and Frex to spend more time together.

When Fiyero re-entered his room, he sat down with a heavy sigh. He couldn't help on dwell what was going to happen the next day. He wished there was something more he could do to help Elphaba, but there was nothing. He'd been trying for the past two weeks to keep the promise he'd made to himself to be strong for Elphaba; but it was getting harder. He now knew how Nessa had felt when Frex had arrived, because it had been the same way he'd felt when his parents had shown up on his doorstep.

He hadn't actually said anything to his parents yet, but just knowing they were here made him feel better. And he was slightly overwhelmed to know just how much they wanted to support him and Elphaba. It can't have been easy for them to leave the Vinkus at such short notice.

Nessa had been right in her suspicion that Fiyero and Boq had spent their day finishing (ok, starting) their Lurlinemas shopping. For Fiyero, choosing what to get Elphaba had been the hardest part, between her dislike of presents and his desire to make her gift something really meaningful, given the circumstances. But he had finally found something that he thought fit both criteria.

And now he found himself, half past seven at night and bored. He killed some time wrapping all the gifts he had bought, and then sat back on the couch, at a complete loss. He wondered what Elphaba was doing, and hoped whatever it was, she was being distracted from the reminder of what awaited her the next day.

If _he _was feeling anxious, he couldn't imagine how Elphaba was feeling.

Fiyero had only one part of Elphaba's gift left to do- write the accompanying letter. It had been such a success for their anniversary, he had decided to do it again. Figuring he may as well write it now, he went into his bedroom in search of pen and paper.

A pen he found easily enough, but paper proved more difficult. Fiyero knew he had a blank notepad around somewhere, but of course, he couldn't remember the last place he'd seen it. In frustration, Fiyero yanked at one of his desk drawers rather harder than he'd intended, and promptly pulled the drawer out completely and scattered its contents across the floor.

Fiyero sighed tiredly, looking up at the ceiling. "Great. Just great."

He dropped to his knees and began collecting all the papers that now littered the floor. Glancing at a few of them, he was surprised to see that many of them appeared to be notes and sheets from last year.

"I probably should have thrown these out," he muttered and screwed up the papers in his hand, tossing them carelessly into the wastebasket.

He glanced at each piece of paper, on the off chance it was actually something important but it seemed to be all old school stuff- which of course, he deemed unimportant. Elphaba, he reflected, would probably disagree.

As he went to automatically toss a folded sheet away, he suddenly paused as something caught his eye- Elphaba's handwriting. Frowning, he unfolded the paper to see what it was. Aside from her letters, he couldn't think of anything Elphaba had ever written that he would have.

_Annabel Lee, _the title of the paper read, and as Fiyero scanned the poem, the memory came flooding back to him. His mind going blank and his task forgotten, Fiyero sat back and re-read the poem, taking in the annotations in his own handwriting, and an odd note or two in Elphaba's, which was what had caught his attention.

Lines from the poem jumped out at him, as though screaming for his attention. _But we loved that a love that was more than love... her highborn kinsman came... to shut her up in a sepulchre... neither the angels in heaven above, nor the demons down under the sea, can ever dissever my soul from the soul..._

She had died, Fiyero recalled vividly, everything he and Elphaba had discussed about the poem coming back to him. Annabel Lee had died. This was the testimony of a man who had lost the woman he loved and was completely grief-stricken, as his life without his love lost all meaning. He could have been in the same situation Fiyero was now, helpless. Unable to do anything to help his love, his life, except to wait and watch, and hope...

Fiyero remembered that he had thought it so crazy that this guy was spending every night sleeping next to the tomb of his dead wife. But suddenly, now, it didn't seem that crazy. Fiyero had a sudden image of himself, lying next to a tombstone in the middle of a grassy field. A tombstone which had Elphaba's name engraved on it.

Fiyero shook himself mentally back to reality with a start. He felt sick, and even though he squeezed his eyes shut so tight they hurt in order to clear his mind of that image, it remained firmly. As imprinted on his mind as Elphaba's name had been on the stone in his imagination.

'_That's not going to happen. Elphaba is not going to die,_' he told himself firmly. But even his inner voice lacked conviction.

_Elphaba could die. _They were words, an idea, that Fiyero couldn't bring himself to utter aloud. He had gotten very adept at keeping the thoughts and dreams about that possibility at bay. But as he stared at the words of the poem in his hands, those same lines jumping out at him; he couldn't help but see it no longer as a poem, but an omen. Was this a sign of what could be? For Fiyero had no trouble admitting that Elphaba was the centre of his life. And now to think of his life without her... it was more terrifying than Fiyero could ever remember feeling in his entire life.

Without another thought, Fiyero jumped up, grabbed his coat and room key, and left the room. He didn't even realise until he entered Elphaba and Galinda's building that he still had the piece of paper crushed tightly in his hand, but he didn't let it go. It just reminded him of the image of Elphaba's tomb, and everything _Annabel Lee _and Elphaba, meant. He took the stairs, running up two at a time, driven by a desperate desire to see Elphaba. He pounded on the door urgently, not caring about the hour or that the force with which he knocked suggested some emergency.

After a few tense moments, where he fidgeted from foot to foot, and fought to resist the urge just to kick the door in, the door was opened. Fiyero barely registered that it was Elphaba who had opened the door, before he stepped into the room, grabbed Elphaba and pulled her to him, sweeping her into his arms and kissing her deeply all within two seconds, moving into the room until they met the wall.

Elphaba's surprised exclamation was muffled by his lips, as he kissed her more urgently than he ever had before. His fingers were digging so tight on her lower waist it actually hurt, and it was all Elphaba could do to cling to his shoulders as he pressed her tight between his body and the wall.

When he finally broke the kiss, Elphaba was bewildered and embarrassed, considering Galinda was in the room to witness the whole thing.

"Fiyero, what-"

She broke off her breathless question as Fiyero wordlessly handed her a now very crumpled piece of paper that had been in his hand. With a puzzled glance, Elphaba unfolded it. And in one instant, the puzzlement in her eyes transformed into pain. She understood instantly. She knew what every line of this poem meant and why it would have brought Fiyero to her door that night. Most importantly, she knew Fiyero.

She met his gaze, her heart hurting at the anguish she saw in his eyes and every line of his face.

"Yero," she whispered brokenly, reaching out to caress his cheek.

That was it. That one word, the trembling whisper of his name, and Fiyero broke his promise to himself to be strong for Elphaba. And he buried his face in Elphaba's hair and neck, and began to sob as he held her to him. And once he started he couldn't stop, until he was crying for everything. For the poem, for what had happened to Elphaba, for every fear he'd felt since she had first told him the diagnosis.

Tears stung Elphaba's own eyes, and as she looked behind Fiyero to where Galinda sat on the end of her bed, she saw Galinda was silently crying too. She had one hand over her mouth to muffle her sobs, and with a small motion to Elphaba, she picked up her bag and coat and headed for the door. Elphaba gave a minute yet grateful nod in return, and Galinda slipped silently past the couple and into the hall, shutting the door behind her before she let a choked sob be uttered from her own lips.

Elphaba didn't know what she could say to Fiyero to reassure or comfort him, so she said nothing. She just stayed there, eyes closed quietly as he cried. Eventually, the tears stopped and his breathing began to even out, but neither of them moved a muscle. Elphaba was beginning to tire, but she just couldn't bring herself to move.

"I can't lose you," he finally croaked out, his voice a hoarse whisper and still buried in her neck.

Elphaba didn't think her heart could hurt any more, but she was proved wrong.

"You won't," she whispered, not because she could promise that, but because he needed to hear it.

Fiyero kissed her neck, tracing up the scar from the biopsy and up her jaw until his lips found hers. The kisses were gentler this time, but no less passionate and Elphaba wrapped her arms tighter around his neck as they deepened the kiss. She wasn't even aware of them moving until she bumped into her bed and it made her sit down.

Elphaba finally pulled away when she felt Fiyero's hand begin to move up her thigh.

"Sorry," Fiyero apologised immediately.

Elphaba blushed. "No, it's just..."

She trailed off, not sure how to explain it. Elphaba didn't exactly have the highest self-esteem at the best of times, but having the cancer had only worsened that feeling; which wasn't the best feeling to have when thinking about something like losing your virginity. She'd come a long way in the past few months, but the cancer had changed it. Like it had changed everything.

Fiyero kissed her softly. "I get it, Fae. Not the time."

Elphaba smiled, and then looked up at him worriedly.

"Are you okay?"

Fiyero sobered, as he settled down next to her on the bed, bending down to pick up the poem that had dropped to the floor.

"Do you remember when we did this?" he asked her.

Elphaba nodded wordlessly.

Fiyero chuckled slightly, with an incredulous shake of his head. "I had no clue, I was so confusified... I was still dating Galinda and trying to work out what it was that I felt for you... and then we had to do this."

He stared at the paper for a long moment.

"_We loved with a love that was more than love_... I had no idea what that meant. And it all seemed so crazy to me. Him sleeping by a tomb every night... the angels killing her out of spite... it all makes sense now."

"You think angels gave me cancer?" Elphaba asked, only half joking.

Fiyero solemnly cupped her face in his hands. "I think no one's ever loved anyone the way I love you," he whispered. "And if I lost you..."

Elphaba kissed him again to hide the fresh tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. Fiyero returned the kiss tenderly, then pulled away, keeping their foreheads touching.

"I guess... I haven't really let myself even consider any other alternative than you being okay," Fiyero said softly. "And then when I found this... I couldn't consider anything else _but_ this. I've been trying to be strong for you, and then... I got really scared."

"I'm scared too," Elphaba replied with difficulty.

She laughed hollowly. "Do you know when I got most scared? When my father turned up. Because I knew if he was _here _and actually concerned about me... that it was really bad."

Fiyero gently stroked her cheek.

"I have to believe you're going to be okay," he murmured.

Elphaba managed a weak smile. "That makes two of us. I love you, Yero."

Fiyero pulled her close once more, again burying his head into her neck and inhaling deeply. "I love you too, Fae. More than my life."

It was a few minutes later that Fiyero caught up with reality.

"I didn't interrupt anything, did I? Where's Galinda?"

"She just stepped out for a bit," Elphaba replied vaguely. "And no, you didn't interrupt. I was just working on this list Michi wants me to do."

"What list is that?" Fiyero asked. It was amazing how much calmer he felt, just having Elphaba in his arms.

She turned away to pick up her notepad to show him.

"I have to write a list of everything I'm looking forward to. She says cancer is as much a mental battle than anything else."

Fiyero perked up at that. "What have you got so far?"

She made a face. "Not much."

He took the paper from her and smiled. She only had two things on there.

_Never getting stuck with another needle._

_Graduating_

"Well, don't your dreams sound exciting?" Fiyero teased.

Elphaba laughed. "It's not as easy as it looks!" she defended herself. "I don't know what to write. I'm not used to having to think about my future. I never really expected to have one before Shiz. And now..."

Fiyero frowned. "The cancer?"

She shook her head. "No, actually. It's just... my future's you. I know that," she said shyly.

Fiyero's only response was to kiss her.

When Galinda cautiously entered the room twenty minutes later, Elphaba was lying on her bed, staring at the wall and lost in thought.

"Is Fiyero okay?"

Elphaba forced a smile. "Yeah. I guess... he hadn't let himself have a breakdown yet," she said, which explained everything to Galinda.

"Where did you go? I didn't mean to kick you out," she added apologetically, but Galinda waved her away.

"It's fine, Elphie. I went and sat with Nessa. I know you two needed some time."

Elphaba smiled gratefully, and then got up.

"I'm going to get changed. I kind of lost track of time."

Galinda nodded and sat down on her bed as Elphaba headed for the bathroom. Elphaba didn't normally take very long, so when she didn't come out after ten minutes, Galinda grew worried.

"Elphie? Are you okay?"

Elphaba slowly opened the door, an odd look on her face. She was still dressed, and seemed to be fighting tears. At Galinda's quizzical frown, Elphaba lifted her the bottom of her top, to reveal her waist. Galinda gasped softly to see strange marks on Elphaba's skin- fingerprints, she quickly realised. There was no question whose fingerprints they were.

Galinda knew why Elphaba was so transfixed on them. To have physical marks of Fiyero's love and concern for her...

"Oh, Elphie," Galinda said quietly.

And then she hugged her best friend tightly as Elphaba let the tears in her eyes finally fall.

**AN. I had to bring _Annabel Lee _back. This was one of those moments where it felt like I could have been planning this story as I wrote _You've Got Mail, _even though I wasn't!**


	20. Chapter 20

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. Happy Birthday Kelly! You're 30! Which means you're only thirty years away from being sixty! (Sorry. It's still funny). I can't believe we've only known each other for two years, yet in that time we've travelled to 2 other countries (ok 1, but the other one is booked!) and 3 other states together (I'm counting all the times I come to Adelaide, haha)! Hope you have a great day, and that you enjoy re-reading this chapter :) **

**I will see you to festivate in a month!**

**Chapter Twenty**

Elphaba looked so very young and small lying in that hospital bed.

That was all Frex could think about, which he found quite unnerving and honestly surprising. He sat stiffly and silently in a chair in the back corner of Elphaba's hospital room. Elphaba lay just as silently on top of the bed, waiting for someone to come and hook her up to the potion IV and get her first treatment underway.

Most importantly, she was waiting for Fiyero to arrive.

She had told her father and Fiyero not to bother coming to the hospital for her appointment with Michi, knowing it would just mean more hanging around the hospital. They had agreed to meet her at ten am. Her father, of course, had arrived promptly at ten. But now it was almost ten past and Fiyero hadn't yet arrived.

After last night, she was more anxious than ever to see him. She hadn't gotten a lot of sleep the night before, and she suspected he hadn't either. When she had gotten dressed that morning, the marks from Fiyero's grip the night before were still there, little faint bruises arranged in a semi circle on either side of her waist.

But Frex knew none of that, he just knew that his daughter was very quiet and was staring tensely at the ceiling. He didn't know what to say to his daughter, so he said nothing. Although he wasn't surprised that the Vinkun prince had not turned up.

He had disapproved of the relationship from the beginning. He suspected that the prince's intentions were not as pure as he claimed, that this was all an act in order to win the challenge of bedding someone as... unique, as Elphaba. And Frex would not have his family's reputation further disgraced by any scandal.

But Frex was admittedly finding it hard to get proof of that. Nessa and Elphaba both steadfastly claimed over the summer that Fiyero was not what his reputation suggested. When he had met the young prince back in September, Frex had been surprised that Fiyero answered all of his questions so openly.

But he still wasn't sure about the prince or his relationship with Elphaba. The fact he had yet to arrive didn't do much to help his favour, either.

Frex's relationship with his eldest daughter was... complicated, to say the least. Oz knew they weren't close, Frex couldn't look at her without being reminded of what decisions had come from her birth, that resulted in his beautiful Melena gone and precious Nessa growing up not only without a mother, but unable to walk. Not to mention the fact that since she hit adolescence, Elphaba had shown more and more signs of being like her mother. Nessa was much more like Melena in looks, but Elphaba had the same spirit, strength and intelligence that she had had. And neither Elphaba nor Frex was willing to admit she had many traits that he did too- namely stubbornness and independence. And a temper.

But despite the distance between them, when Frex had gotten Nessa's letter telling him the news, _"Elphaba's been diagnosed with cancer"; _Frex had been stunned. So now here they were, in uncomfortable silence in a hospital room, waiting. All it had was a bed and two chairs, with a tiny bathroom off one side.

Frex had made sure to organise a private room for Elphaba's treatments, figuring she would appreciate the privacy. It wasn't much, but it was more than the usual room where cancer patients received their treatments.

When the door opened, Frex looked up from his paper. But when he saw it was just Fiyero, he turned away, although he didn't miss how Elphaba's face lit up as she saw him enter. Fiyero immediately went directly to Elphaba's side, entwining his fingers with hers and kissing her softly.

"I'm sorry," Frex heard him say softly. "I overslept. I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Me either," Elphaba admitted.

"Here, this is for you."

Peering over the top of the paper, Frex saw Fiyero hand Elphaba a piece of paper. As she took it, she looked surprisingly wary.

"What is it?"

"It's my list."

"_Your _list?" Elphaba asked, sounding surprised.

"Yeah. You seemed stuck, and I figured... you're my future, and I'm yours, so we have as much to look forward to as each other."

Elphaba unfolded the piece of paper, and read it silently. Frex continued to watch from the corner of his eye, admittedly curious. He saw Elphaba smile, and then blush as she read whatever was written on the piece of paper.

Finally, she looked up at Fiyero.

"In this order?" she asked, a teasing note in her voice.

Fiyero whispered something that Frex couldn't hear, which made her blush and laugh and the he kissed her, which finally made Frex look away.

"So, why haven't they started yet?" Fiyero asked.

Elphaba sighed. "You know hospitals. It's more waiting than anything else."

"Unfortunately, I already know much more about hospitals than I ever wanted to," Fiyero agreed and Elphaba smiled knowingly.

A few minutes later, a nurse came in the room to draw blood and take Elphaba's vitals.

"It'll still be a few minutes," she told Elphaba. "Have you eaten?"

Elphaba grimaced and shook her head. "No. I wasn't hungry this morning."

"Well, you can't be sure what effect the potions will have on you," the nurse responded. "You might get sick during, or later today, or not at all. But having something light couldn't hurt. Some people feel better having something in their stomach."

"I can run down to the hospital cafeteria and get you something, Fae," Fiyero offered. "I could do with some food myself."

"No, I'll come with you," Elphaba decided. "Is that okay?" she asked the nurse, who nodded.

"Father, do you want anything?"

Frex looked up from his paper with a start. "No, thank you," he answered shortly.

Elphaba and Fiyero left the room, hand in hand. Left alone, Frex hesitated. He had never snooped through either of his daughter's personal possessions before, but he couldn't deny he was curious about what was on the paper Fiyero had given Elphaba. And it was just lying there on the bed, folded in half.

He debated for a few moments, but in the end his curiosity won out and he got up and grabbed the piece of paper and unfolded it. It was a list, he noted with confusion.

_Things I'm Looking Forward To: A List for Elphaba_

_You being in remission._

_Having a party to celebrate you being in remission_

_Graduating._

_Having a graduation party._

_Planning the best proposal ever._

_Executing said best proposal ever._

_Marrying you._

_Making love with you._

_Having children with you._

_Spending forever together._

Frex was gobsmacked, and he hastily put it back where he had found it. He couldn't have felt more guilty than if he'd read Elphaba's diary- if she _had _a diary.

He recalled Elphaba's reaction, and her response of "In that order?"

He just didn't know what Fiyero's answer had been. For all Elphaba and Fiyero's claims of being in love, Frex hadn't really considered that they might be telling the truth; or how serious their relationship really was. And he didn't really know what to do with the information he'd just gained.

It was ten thirty by the time that Elphaba was actually being given the potions.

"So, why are they in an IV again? Why doesn't she just drink them?" Fiyero asked the nurse.

"The ingredients in them are quite strong," the nurse explained.

"And some are poisonous," Elphaba reminded him.

"So, if we administer them through an IV, we can better monitor how the body reacts to them, and stop the dosage from being too high. Also it protects the organs if the potion goes through the bloodstream to find the cancer cells."

"You have to love the irony of poisoning yourself to kill cancer cells before the cancer cells kill you, right?" Elphaba quipped to Fiyero.

"It feels like this should be much simpler," Fiyero grumbled unhappily.

The nurse was sympathetic. "You can, however, drink this one. It's an anti-nausea potion with essence of ginger," she told Elphaba, handing her a small cup filled with a golden liquid.

Elphaba obediently drank, and made a face at the taste.

"Another advantage of using an IV," she said and the nurse laughingly agreed.

They all watched as the IV was hooked up and the red bottle- one of three and each a different colour, began to slowly make its way into Elphaba's arm.

"This feels strangely anticlimactic," Elphaba commented after a few moments.

"Hey, Fae?" Fiyero asked in a strange voice, and she turned to him.

"Yeah?"

"You can let go of my hand now."

Elphaba looked down with a start, and realised she had grabbed Fiyero's hand so tightly when the nurse inserted the IV needle that she was squashing his fingers.

"Sorry!" she said apologetically, sheepishly releasing his hand.

Fiyero flexed his fingers. "It's fine. I saw Boq's hand from when he went with you. You broke the skin. That's impressive."

Elphaba chuckled. "If I'd been awake when they did the bone marrow biopsy, I'm sure I would have drawn blood or broken something. I saw the needle- that was a big one."

Fiyero looked around. "So, what do we do now?"

Elphaba shrugged tiredly. "I don't know. Entertain me."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "Entertain you? What do you want me to do, juggle?"

"_Can _you juggle?" Elphaba asked in interest.

"No, but I'm sure you'd find my attempts amusing," he grinned and Elphaba laughed.

"I didn't even bring a book," she complained. "I didn't even think of it."

Off Fiyero's look- one of not entirely exaggerated surprise, she shrugged. "I was a little preoccupied this morning."

After twenty minutes, it became apparent that this process wasn't going to be as terrifying as they'd feared, or even interesting in the slightest. So Fiyero disappeared briefly, and returned armed with magazines, newspapers and anything else he could find that he thought Elphaba would like.

For an hour they read silently, as the red potion steadily entered Elphaba's system, followed by a blue one. Not long after the second potion began, Elphaba began to feel the effects of the potions. Fiyero was alarmed as a thin sheen of sweat covered her forehead, but she was shivering and complaining of being cold.

"It's not uncommon," the nurse reassured them when Fiyero summoned her. She took Elphaba's temperature and examined the thermometer carefully.

"Hmm... a small fever. We'll keep an eye on it. In the meantime, I'll get you some aspirin and a damp cloth, alright?"

"Can she have another blanket?" Frex asked, seeing Elphaba shiver.

"I don't think it will hurt. Unless the fever gets higher."

She returned with the blanket, aspirin and cloth, which Fiyero gently laid on her forehead. Elphaba was most grateful for the blanket, it did help keep her warm at least. She grew tired and nauseous- despite the anti-nausea potion. To keep her preoccupied and to offer some small comfort, Fiyero sat carefully on the bed next to her, making sure not to jostle the bed or her; and quietly read to her as she leaned against him.

Elphaba felt more nauseous when she had to open her mouth or move in any way, so she just lay there, curled up with her arms around her stomach and her head on Fiyero's chest as she listened to his voice wash over her.

He was reading from _OzBeat, _which wasn't really choice reading material for either of them, but reading materials had been limited. She wasn't even listening to the words really, she was more concentrating on Fiyero's voice.

"Oh, here we go," Fiyero said brightly as he turned the page after an article about _'The secret ingredients to luminous skin.' _

Elphaba opened her eyes to see what had caught his attention. Even Frex looked up from some finance magazine Fiyero had accidentally grabbed with the rest of them.

"A quiz: _'Where does your guy rank on the Boyfriend meter?'"_

Elphaba laughed, then immediately grimaced. "Oh, don't make me laugh," she begged.

"Sshh, Fae, I'm doing a quiz," Fiyero hushed her and cleared his throat.

"_You're dating a guy, but you're wondering just how lucky you really are with him! Knowing where he ranks on the boyfriend meter will let you know if you shouldn't take him for granted or if you shouldn't go on another date with him! Take this quiz to find out if your guy is a keeper or if you should move on!"_

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

"'_Question 1. When you're having a bad day, your boyfriend: A- Tells you how wonderful you are and buys you ice cream; B- Listens to you gripe but interrupts with stories about his day; or C- Tells you to get over it because lately every day is bad for you.' _Well, A obviously."

"If that's true, where's my ice cream?" Elphaba asked, fairly certain that having cancer qualified as a bad day.

"Sshh, don't talk," he ignored her, going on to the next question.

"'_Your friends like your boyfriend because: A- He's a big flirt and calls them "pretty"; B- he's nice to them (and you) when you're all hanging out in a group; and C- He knows their names and talks to them when he runs into them.'"_

Fiyero paused briefly. "We have the same friends! How does that work?" he complained.

Elphaba managed a smile. "B," she murmured and Fiyero obediently circled it.

"Alright, Question 3. _You and your guy are studying for chemistry and he says: A- I'm so happy we can study together because you can understand this better than I do!; B- Can I just copy your answers on the test tomorrow?; or C- I'm so happy we can study together because I like being with you.' _Well, that's obviously a tie between A and C."

Elphaba silently raised an eyebrow at him pointedly and he sighed.

"B," he admitted, circling the answer. "But you know I'd be joking."

Elphaba said nothing, just jabbed a finger at the page, a silent order for him to continue.

"'_You have a crush on a gorgeous and popular celebrity musician. Your boy: A- Takes you to see his concerts and lets you gush about his good looks and talent every now and then; B- Buys you his records, but doesn't like it when you talk about him otherwise; or C- Gets upset when you mention him or any other guy.'"_

Fiyero had to think about that one, because Elphaba wasn't one to really have crushes on celebrities; so it was up to how Fiyero thought he would react in that situation. That in mind, he went and circled A.

"What?" he asked innocently, seeing a faint smirk on Elphaba's face.

She shook her head just as innocently, even though she suspected it would more than likely be B or C. But she'd let him believe otherwise.

"Question 5. _'It's date night and you can either go to a play (your choice!) or a party (his choice). Which one happens? A- The play (you won it fairly in a coin toss); B- the play (you always get your way); or C- the party (he always gets his way).'"_

Fiyero didn't even have to really think about that too much. They both knew if it was something Elphaba wanted, he'd most likely do it.

"B it is. OK, Question 6, last question. '_What is the best quality about your boyfriend? A- his caring attitude and how he always knows what to say; B- his social connections; or C- his good looks and sense of humour.'"_

Fiyero grinned at her. "I'm quite happy to go with C on this one."

Elphaba rolled her eyes again. "A," she replied instead, pointing to the answer with her finger.

Fiyero kissed the top of her head as he did as requested.

Then he made a big show of solemnly adding up his score.

Suddenly, he laughed. "_You've Got the Best Boyfriend!"_ he read out, happily. "_You deserve a caring, loyal, and all-around great guy, so it's only appropriate that you got one (and boy, did you!). Your boyfriend ranks high on the quality meter. Part of it could be that you've taught him what you need from him, and part of it could be that he's just a great guy overall! Take him out to dinner to say thanks! He'll love knowing that he's appreciated."_

He looked down at Elphaba. "Well, aren't you lucky?" he grinned.

"I think so," Elphaba replied quietly, her tone completely sincere.

Fiyero kissed the top of her head again, and pulled her closer, rubbing her back soothingly as she closed her eyes again, as though hoping the darkness would help settle her stomach.

It was almost one o'clock by the time they left the hospital, and Frex and Fiyero assisted Elphaba into the waiting carriage. She certainly didn't protest. She felt completely drained, and sick to her stomach, although she hadn't actually thrown up (yet); and when Dr Crowe had stopped by to see her before they left, he'd warned her it would just get worse over the next few days (most likely).

"I feel like I could sleep for a week," she said as the carriage entered the campus grounds.

"Hey, if you want to sleep for a week you can," Fiyero reassured her.

Elphaba smiled slightly. "Can you deal with the others? I can't-"

"Of course," Fiyero replied immediately.

He knew how many questions the others would have, and Elphaba was simply not up to answering them.

Sure enough, Galinda and Nessa were both waiting for them when Fiyero and Elphaba entered her dorm room, Frex following.

"Elphie!" Galinda exclaimed. "How do you feel? How was it? Was it awful? What-"

"Galinda," Fiyero calmly interrupted the blonde firmly. "I'll explain everything in a few minutes, okay? Can you just help Fae change and get into bed? She's really not feeling up to talking."

Galinda looked closely at her best friend, and concern immediately overtook her curiosity.

"Of course."

Fiyero kissed Elphaba's cheek softly. "Get some sleep, Fae. I'll check on you later, ok?"

Elphaba nodded, squeezing his hand tightly. "Thanks, Yero. I love you."

He smiled. "Love you too. I'll meet you downstairs," he said to Galinda and Nessa, who both nodded.

Frex handed Nessarose the stack of magazines they'd brought home from the hospital, before turning to Elphaba.

"If you need anything, let us know," was all he said.

Elphaba was too tired to be surprised. "I will."

Frex left Nessa and Galinda to deal with Elphaba and followed Fiyero down to the foyer. He wanted to say something, but wasn't sure exactly how to say it.

"You're in love with her."

Fiyero looked at him in surprise. "Yes, sir. Very much," he nodded confidently.

Frex regarded him for a long moment. "I trust you to do right by her," he said finally, just seconds before Nessa and Galinda joined them.

Fiyero wasn't sure, but he thought he might have just won the Governor's approval. He wasn't entirely sure how, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

It would have been interesting to see his reaction if he'd known that all he had done was proved that he genuinely loved Elphaba. Frex may not be close to his daughter, or approve of the prince's former reputation; but he couldn't fault what he had seen in the hospital that day.

Fiyero Tiggular loved his daughter, and she loved him. Frex couldn't fault that. If he had ever done anything for Elphaba out of affection for his eldest child, this would be it- giving his blessing to the relationship.

The only other thing left for him to wonder about was whether it was too late to get to know his daughter. It might surprise some to know he genuinely hoped it wasn't.

**AN. Thank you for everyone's thoughts on the last chapter. That was a scene I envisioned early on in the planning process and I really wanted to do it right, so the fact that so many of you cried... that helps me know I've done it justice.**

**Also, I should point out that everything that happens cancer-wise from this point in is taken from actual accounts I read of people with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Also, that is a real quiz. I found it online. **


	21. Chapter 21

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. If I was posting this a month ago, we'd be having Lurlinemas in July... ok, sorry. I'm very tired right now. **

**Chapter Twenty-One**

"Present time! Let's go, everyone!"

It was hardly the most conventional Lurlinemas. They had all been agreed on two things- to open presents and eat together, and to let Elphaba rest as much as she needed. As a result, here they were at four o'clock in the afternoon, gathered in the otherwise empty student common room and getting ready to exchange gifts.

Elphaba was feeling okay. Her nausea had subsided today and she had still not yet been sick; her lips were chapped with sores developing inside her mouth; she had no appetite and could only stomach ice water and popsicles; and despite having slept straight through the night until only an hour ago, she was still utterly exhausted and devoid of energy; but she felt okay.

Not great, but well enough to get out of bed. Plus, she hadn't wanted to ruin everyone's Lurlinemas.

She allowed everyone to fuss over her with surprising patience, to make sure she was warm and comfortable and had everything she could ever possibly need or want. Truth be told, she just didn't have the energy to protest.

"Who's going first?" Fiyero asked, looking around from his spot next to Elphaba on the couch. "Did we pick someone to be in charge of handing out presents?"

At the moment, they were all piled under the small tree in the corner of the room; a tree which had never been intended to actually use and had just been put there by the maintenance staff at the beginning of December to signify the approaching holiday.

"I'll do it!" Boq volunteered.

Galinda leaned over and whispered something to the Munchkin, who nodded. He spent a few minutes searching under the tree, before pulling out a large box, which he handed to Elphaba.

"Here you go."

Elphaba looked surprised and she glanced at the tag.

"_Dear Elphie, Happy Lurlinemas. Love, Galinda and Nessarose."_

Elphaba hadn't expected such a large present, nor a joint one. She looked between her sister and best friend carefully, both of whom looked oddly wary.

"What did you two do?" she asked.

"Just open it, Fabala," Nessa urged her.

Elphaba carefully unwrapped it and lifted the lid of the box. Nessa and Galinda watched her face anxiously, trying to determine her reaction.

"It's- it's full of scarves," she said finally, running her fingers over them lightly.

"We weren't sure whether we should or not," Nessa explained. "But we wanted to get you things in case you did lose your hair-"

"And we didn't know if you'd consider a wig, and you can't wear a hat inside," Galinda jumped in. "But Kasmira helped us pick them. They're all materials that won't irritate and aren't too heavy, and we made sure to pick colours that wouldn't clash with your skin."

Elphaba reached out and picked up a soft pink head scarf, raising an eyebrow at Galinda pointedly.

"What? Pink goes good with green!" Galinda protested innocently.

Elphaba rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile. "Thank you," she said sincerely, replacing the lid on the box.

Both girls had to hug her, and then Boq broke the silence by handing out the next present.

It was a lively, happy affair. Everyone seemed to be liking their gifts. Fiyero raved over the handsome leather jacket Elphaba had enlisted Galinda to help her buy; and Galinda and Nessa had likewise been happily satisfied with the collections of bath bombs and beauty supplies Elphaba had chosen for each of them. Nessa's were all rose scents, and Galinda's were lavender.

Elphaba was very happy with everything she received. Galinda had also given her the boots she had worn to meet Fiyero's parents; Boq had given her the latest book from the author of their Philosophy textbook, the one he had been doing a reading for the day they had gone to the hospital for her tests. Ibrahim and Kasmira had gotten her some books on Vinkun History and culture, which Elphaba knew must have been suggested by Fiyero- she had told him that aside from meeting his parents, seeing and learning about the Vinkus was what she had been most been looking forward to about their original Lurlinemas plans. And these weren't books you could find in any typical Ozian bookstore; which made her appreciate them even more.

Although Frex never celebrated or acknowledged Elphaba's birthday or given her a present; he did at least give her something at Lurlinemas- albeit with Nessa's name attached to his own, and far less grand than the gifts Nessa typically received for the holidays. This year, Elphaba opened her gift to find a handsome leather journal. It was by far the nicest gift she could ever recall receiving from her father and she thanked them both.

Fiyero had added something to his gift for Elphaba at the last minute, and had hidden it very thoroughly under the tree, so it took a while before Boq noticed it and handed it over. Instead of a tag, there was the letter he had written attached with Elphaba's name on it. Elphaba carefully prised it off and slipped it aside to read later, which they all noticed but no one commented on. Then she unwrapped the accompanying gift, and inside, she found two things: a copy of _Annabel Lee _on a glass plaque and a small box.

Elphaba had a lump in her throat as she re-read the poem. She had always loved it, but suddenly it had become so much more significant- to her and Fiyero. Some may have thought it an odd gift choice if they known the story behind it, but to Elphaba is represented just how much Fiyero loved her. Carefully setting it aside, she opened the box and she was amazed to see a delicate silver ring inside; a heart with a crown on top, joined by two hands.

Elphaba knew what it was by sight- this was a Vinkun _igavik _ring, a ring which signified eternal love, friendship and loyalty. The practice of exchanging these rings between soul mates dated back in the Vinkus for centuries, but in recent years the practice had begun to catch on in other provinces of Oz.

Although Elphaba knew what they were and what they signified, she was still unprepared to see it right before her eyes.

Not knowing what else to say, she looked up. She half expected to find everyone watching her, but everyone else was either unwrapping or examining their own gifts. Only Fiyero had his eyes on her, waiting expectantly for her reaction.

"It's beautiful," she said softly, so that only he could hear. "Thank you."

Fiyero just beamed at her. "I'm glad you like it."

"It's... it's the best gift I've ever gotten," she said honestly.

"Don't tell Galinda that," he joked and kissed her lightly.

Galinda looked over at the sound of her name. "Don't tell me what?"

"Nothing," Elphaba and Fiyero chorused together.

When Galinda turned her attention back to the shoes that Boq had given her, Fiyero gently took the ring from Elphaba's hands and slipped it onto the ring finger of her right hand. It fit perfectly.

"I love you," Elphaba murmured and Fiyero ran his thumb over her hand softly.

"I love you too, Fae."

Elphaba managed to eat a little dinner with everyone once all the presents had been opened. Not because she was hungry, just because she thought if she did, the others wouldn't hover worriedly over her so much. But she regretted it moments later, when her stomach violently rejected the little meat, vegetables and potato she had eaten and she had spent the next half an hour being violently ill.

Which kind of defeated the point of eating, because it only made her friends more worried.

"I thought the point of that anti-nausea potion was to stop you from being sick?!" Fiyero demanded anxiously.

"Just think how sick I'd be if I hadn't taken it?" Elphaba managed to reply, although she was ignored.

Galinda was panicked enough to want to take Elphaba to the hospital, but Elphaba convinced her that all she needed was to get into bed, and she was surprisingly supported by Frex; although Elphaba figured she should stop being surprised soon or the shock of every small kind word or gesture might kill her faster than the cancer.

"Can you stay?" Elphaba asked Fiyero quietly, once she was changed and in bed.

It was just the two of them by that point, Elphaba having convinced the others to go finish their meal.

"Just for a few minutes?"

"Of course," Fiyero said immediately.

He sat on her bed as he had at the hospital when she had been having the potions, not wanting to make her feel worse.

"Do you need anything?"

To his surprise, Elphaba nodded. She reached out to her nightstand and picked up the letter that had been attached with her Lurlinemas gift. She really wanted to read it, but anything other than lying curled up in a ball seemed impossible at the moment.

"Will you read it? Please, Yero?"

Fiyero only hesitated briefly, before realising it was stupid to be embarrassed about reading it aloud when he had written it.

"OK," he agreed. As she nestled down under her blankets, Fiyero opened the letter and cleared his throat.

"_Dear Fae,_

_Shopping really isn't my forte. I'm pretty sure I've alternated between giving my mother perfume and candles for Lurlinemas, her birthday and Mother's Day every year for at least the past ten years. And until a few weeks ago, I thought for the first time in my life, shopping would be easy- at least when it came to choosing a gift for you._

_I'd known since the summer that I wanted to give you the igavik ring; because it represents everything you bring to my life and what you mean to me. Plus, it's a Vinkun tradition and something I always thought I'd give to the girl I was going to marry- when I found her. _

_So that was easy. I know the others found it difficult, whether to get you something that wouldn't remind you that you had cancer; or to give you something that might help you through this. I figure the ring works both ways, because no matter the outcome, it won't change the fact that I love you with all that I am and I always will. _

_But then after the other night, which ironically started because I went to write this letter and found the poem instead, I couldn't get it out of my head. I know that when we studied it in class I thought it was depressing- and don't get me wrong, it absolutely is. But the difference is now when I read it, more than anything I feel the love in it._

_In every line, there is deep, meaningful, soul-wrenching love and loss of love; and that is everything I feel. If there was ever a bright side about this, it's that I think it's made me love you even more, or just made me more aware of how much I love you. I'm not taking a single second with you for granted, and I'm more certain that ever that you are my life- my past, present and future._

_So this poem is now always going to remind me of that, which is why I gave it to you. When I got it made (um, slight confession here. I didn't exactly oversleep before going to the hospital on Lurlinemas Eve. Well, I did, but then I also detoured on the way to do this), there were a bunch of similar things that had been done. And this poem caught my eye:_

_"What Cancer Cannot Do"_

_Cancer is so limited...  
It cannot cripple love.  
It cannot shatter hope.  
It cannot corrode faith.  
It cannot eat away peace.  
It cannot destroy confidence.  
It cannot kill friendship.  
It cannot shut out memories.  
It cannot quench the spirit.  
It cannot silence courage.  
It cannot reduce eternal life._

_Even though I like ours better, I thought this was appropriate. "It cannot cripple love". _

_So when you have a bad day, remember this poem and that no matter what happens, nothing can cripple my love for you. Happy Lurlinemas, Fae._

_Love, Fiyero."_

Elphaba slid her hand into Fiyero's, grasping it firmly.

"These letters are my favourite gift from you," she confessed quietly.

Fiyero smiled, lifting her hand and kissing it sweetly. "Well, I promised you I'd keep writing, didn't I?"

He stayed with Elphaba talking quietly until she fell asleep, and then he quietly slipped out of the room.

"How's Elphie?" Galinda asked when he returned to the group.

"Sleeping," he replied, taking a seat.

"From what Dr Crowe said, I was expecting it to be a lot worse," Nessa said.

"Maybe Elphaba will be one of the lucky ones and not have that many side effects," Boq offered supportively.

Fiyero wasn't so optimistic. "It's only been a day," he reminded them. "There's still plenty of time."

He was trying to be realistic even if it came across as pessimistic- a role, he realised, which was usually filled in their group by Elphaba. He was sure if she had been part of their discussion she would have said the same thing. The look on Nessa's face told Fiyero the same thing.

When asked about it, Elphaba found the best way to describe how she was feeling was as though she had a really bad flu; although there were times when- just as she had felt aware of the cancer cells dividing and taking up residence in her body- she swore she could feel the potions moving throughout her system and engaging the cancer cells in battle.

She felt relatively well on the Sunday, although she couldn't eat much once again. She spent most of Monday sleeping, only awaking in late afternoon. When she did awaken, she felt sore, stiff and achy. Every part of her, every muscle, every _bone,_ seemed to hurt. She was in so much pain that she could barely move and she was tempted to just curl up in a ball and cry- or she would have if it didn't hurt to curl up in a ball. Galinda, who was doing her best to take care of her best friend, ran her a warm bubble bath and encouraged her to rest.

"What do you think a bath is going to do, Glin?" Elphaba asked reasonably.

"Well, it can't hurt, can it?" Galinda retorted and Elphaba figured she had a point.

As Galinda fiddled with the bath, Elphaba slowly ran the brush through her hair to comb out any tangles. When Galinda next stuck her head into the room to check on her, she grew worried.

"Elphie? What's wrong?"

Elphaba reached up and ran her fingers lightly through her hair. When her hand pulled back, Galinda saw about a dozen strands of ebony hair sticking to the emerald fingers.

"Oh," she breathed lightly, not sure what else to say.

Elphaba gave an odd shudder and met Galinda's gaze with a smile. "Maybe I'm being paranoid, and I just never counted every stray hair that falls out before," she said bravely.

"Maybe," Galinda agreed, trying to stay positive. "And if- if not... you have all those scarves now."

Elphaba laughed. "Yes, I do," she concurred.

"So, how many visitors did I get while I was asleep?" she asked, changing the subject.

Galinda giggled. "Well, Nessa stopped by twice. Once alone, and once with your father. I don't think he dares come alone yet, and prefers to have Nessa as an excuse to visit. Boq didn't actually come by, but he asked about you and how you were feeling over lunch. Fiyero's parents also asked about you."

"And Fiyero?" Elphaba asked knowingly.

"He came by four times," Galinda grinned. "He said he'd stop by after dinner, so that makes it five."

Elphaba chuckled. "I hope I'm feeling alright tomorrow. Being his birthday and all."

"I can't believe he's going to be twenty- _five. _That means he's only five years away from being _thirty!"_

"You make it sound like thirty is ancient," Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"It just sounds... so grown up," Galinda explained, making a face. She checked back on the bath and hurried to turn off the water.

"Bath's ready!"

Galinda helped Elphaba to her feet and helped her shuffle across to the bathroom. Even walking was painful.

"Thank you," Elphaba said.

Galinda beamed. "You're welcome. I'll be just here if you need me, writing to Momsie."

"OK."

As she lay in bath, amongst the mass of bubbles Galinda had insisted was needed, Elphaba couldn't take her mind off the strands of hair that had been entwined in her fingers. Elphaba had never thought of herself as a vain person, and although she always looked neat and presentable, she never put much stock in her physical appearance. She had long been of the opinion that when you were green, nothing else really mattered. The green was all people saw.

But she was rather fond of her hair, to put it lightly. And as she had told Fiyero, she felt really stupid for not wanting to lose it, and now that it looked like she was... it was a harder blow than she'd expected to cope with.

The worst part, she realised, was that losing her hair was really the first physical sign that she had cancer. Yes, she had the scars from the biopsies, but scars could be from anything- and they could be hidden. Once she lost her hair, everyone would know that the green girl had cancer. Elphaba didn't know what that would mean to her teachers or fellow students, she suspected at best they wouldn't care or at worst, they'd just have a new reason to stare at her and talk about her. Actually, the worst possible scenario would be that they felt sorry for her and were suddenly nice to her.

It was hard enough with her father, Elphaba didn't know if she could cope with all of Shiz doing it too.


	22. Chapter 22

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

The time between Lurlinemas and leading up to Elphaba's second dose of potions passed in a hazy blur- for Elphaba, at least. And she was quickly discoverating that when you were treating cancer, time took on a whole new meaning. Everything took on a whole new meaning.

They learned to measure a good day as any day Elphaba was actually able to get out of bed. Elphaba was never really able to grasp what time or even what day it was, because her sleeping patterns were all out of whack.

On Fiyero's birthday she felt well enough to join them all at _The Wilted Rose_ for a celebratory birthday dinner, but she spent all the next day lying on the bathroom floor being sick. As crazy as it sounded, Elphaba actually preferred being sick over the intense nausea she suffered at times; the feeling of just being having thrown up was much better than the feeling of thinking you were about to throw up at any moment.

There were other side effects that she hadn't expected either- when she did eat, which wasn't as often as it probably should have been, everything tasted like cardboard. Which made it hard to have an appetite, she pointed out to the others. And maybe it had more to do with her random sleep patterns, where she could sleep fourteen hours one day and then not be able to fall asleep until three in the morning the next night, but she was beginning to feel fuzzy and forgetful.

It was only due to these random sleep patterns, however, that enabled her to see in the New Year. She had woken up at eleven pm and had felt so horrendible that she hadn't been able to get back to sleep until dawn.

Just after the new year, Fiyero's parents returned to the Vinkus.

"If there's _anything _we can do, let us know," Kasmira told Elphaba firmly, as she hugged her goodbye.

"Thank you," Elphaba replied graciously.

"We'll try and come out again," Ibrahim added, and it was clear he meant it.

"That would be great," Elphaba said. She knew the king and queen would be busy and she was tempted to protest against the necessity of the trip from the Vinkus to Shiz, but she knew it would be futile. Plus, she really liked Fiyero's parents and would be happy to see them again.

Before she left, Kasmira handed Elphaba a box. "I'm not sure if you'd want this, and don't feel obligated to use it; but I wanted to give you the option."

Puzzled, Elphaba peeked inside and then she looked back at the queen with a smile.

"Thank you."

"Just in case," Kasmira squeezed her arm lightly.

Frex also left, returning to Munchkinland the day after Ibrahim and Kasmira left. And his last gesture surprised them all.

"I'll arrange a private nurse to help with your care, if you truly intend to stay," he told Elphaba.

Elphaba was stunned. Frex had never even had a nurse for Nessa once Elphaba had been old enough to take care of her. But he was willing to cover that expense for _her?_

"We're taking care of Elphie, Governor!" Galinda spoke up immediately. "I think that's better than some _stranger, _isn't it?"

Frex looked startled. "I appreciate the sentiment, Miss Upland. But I think this is something that requires a professional."

"Elphaba took care of me, Father," Nessa pointed out. "And she's not a professional and she's always done a good job, hasn't she?"

Frex was reluctant. "Yes," he admitted grudgingly.

Elphaba blinked. Another admission from her father she had never heard before.

""But this is different, Nessa. Your sister is seriously ill and if there was a medical emergency, none of you are equipped to handle it."

"But there's the nurse," Fiyero interjected. "If something was to happen, we could get her. Even if Fae had a nurse or someone to take care of her, she wouldn't be _in _the room with her, right?"

Elphaba flinched at that. It was one thing to share a room with Galinda, but she valued her privacy and didn't love the idea of having someone in her space during this time.

"Well, I'm sure that the school could make an allowance and move Elphaba-"

Elphaba hastily interrupted. "Father, I... thank you, but... I don't want to move rooms. And I don't want some stranger hovering around me."

Frex didn't seem keen to let it go, but he changed the subject as he turned back to address Nessarose.

"I'll be back in about a fortnight, provided all goes well," he informed his daughters. He turned to Elphaba.

"Do you wish people to know?"

Elphaba was surprised that he asked, and it wasn't really something she'd considered.

"They might as well," she shrugged finally. "Boq's family knows and you know how Munchkins gossip."

That was true and Frex even smiled faintly. "Very well. I shall release a statement when I return."

"Will you send us a copy?" Nessa implored him. "Or bring a copy when you return?"

Elphaba stared at her sister. "Why in Oz's name would you want a copy?"

"Curiosity?" Nessa offered in response.

Elphaba didn't buy that, but said nothing and Frex agreed to Nessa's wishes.

"That was nice of your father to offer, at least," Boq said as the group were sitting in _The Wilted Rose _after Frex had left.

Elphaba was eating a bowl of watermelon pieces, which helped with the mouth sores that had developed. But she nodded in response to his question.

"Yeah. And I'm definitely not keen on the idea, but..."

"But what?" Nessa asked her quietly.

"I wonder if I should have taken him up on it anyway. Put my own feelings aside and sucked it up."

Fiyero frowned. "Wait, why would you say that?"

"I appreciate you guys wanting to help me and everything, really. But I don't want to be an imposition."

"Don't become a martyr, either," Galinda scolded her. "We want to help you, Elphie. Because we all love you. Don't make it anything less than that."

Elphaba chuckled in spite of herself, and nodded reluctantly. "Fine, ok," she agreed.

Fiyero changed the subject. "Are you seeing Michi this week?" He asked Elphaba.

"Yeah, she's going to come here though."

"Can we meet her?" Galinda asked her friend.

Elphaba shrugged. "If you want to, sure. She's nice."

She was wondering whether Michi would give her anything else to do this week, or whether it was just a general visit to see how she was doing with everything.

"So, Fabala, Galinda and I were thinking that we'd come with you to the hospital next time," Nessa spoke up.

"Yeah, we could have like a girls day," Galinda added with a nod.

Elphaba paused. "A girls day where I get poisoned? That sounds like a blast," she said sarcastically.

Galinda frowned at her. "You _know _what I _mean, _Elphie. What do you say?"

"If you guys want to come, sure. But it's really not fun. Ask Fiyero."

"Yeah, it's kind of boring," Fiyero admitted as Nessa and Galinda looked to him. "But I think it's a good idea. Wait- does that mean I can't go?"

"You went last time," Nessa pointed out.

Elphaba could have laughed. It sounded like they were talking as though it was something really exciting.

"Yero, it's fine. You don't have to spend another day hanging around a hospital," Elphaba reassured him.

"What if I want to?" he challenged her and she raised an eyebrow doubtfully.

"Ok, so I don't _want _to," he admitted. "But-"

"It's fine. Nessa and Glin can keep me company," Elphaba settled the argument.

The same day Michi was due to call on Elphaba, Nessa turned up at her sister's dorm room, waving a newspaper at her.

"What's this?" Elphaba question, curious about her behaviour.

"It's the paper from home. Father sent it to us this morning," Nessa explained. "Look at page 4."

Frowning, Elphaba took the issue of the _Munchkinland Post _from her and began to turn to page four, as ordered.

"What is it? Corn crops?" Galinda asked from her desk, making Elphaba grin and Nessa frown at the idea that corn crops were the only thing in Munchkinland deemed newsworthy.

As soon as she looked at page four, Elphaba knew what her sister was referring to and she gasped slightly.

"Oh. My. Oz."

That got Galinda's attention. "What?!"

She hurried over to look over Elphaba's shoulder and squealed.

"Elphie, you made the paper?!"

Sure enough, there was a probably larger than necessary (in Elphaba's opinion, anyway) photograph of Elphaba, which she recognised from her student ID that had been taken the year before.

_Governor's Green Daughter Diagnosed With Cancer, _ran the headline.

"Why do they _have _to mention I'm green?" Elphaba complained.

Galinda ignored her and grabbed the paper from her so she could read the article aloud.

"_Yet another tragedy has struck the family of Munchkinland Governor, Frexspar Thropp. Twenty two years ago, the Governor's wife, Melena Thropp gave birth to the couple's first child, Elphaba, who shocked the family and all of Munchkinland by displaying a rare birth defect that resulted in her being born with green skin. Three and a half years later, Melena died giving birth to their premature second child, Nessarose, who has been paralysed since birth. _

_Yesterday afternoon, the Governor's office released a statement to the press announcing that Elphaba, now 22 and a second year student alongside her sister at Shiz University, has been diagnosed with cancer._

"_Elphaba has been diagnosed with Stage IIB Hodgkin's lymphoma," the statement said. "She will be continuing her studies at Shiz to the best of her ability, whilst remaining on campus to have access to the team of doctors and nurses at Shiz General Hospital who have initially diagnosed her and are overseeing her treatment."_

_Sources say the Governor's daughter was diagnosed during her mid-term exams in December, after experiencing flu-like symptoms, fatigue, night sweats and a lump in her neck. _

_Elphaba has already begun undergoing treatment, which involves being dosed with potions which contain strong magical properties designed to target and kill the cancer cells. The potions also contain elements which are poisonous to the body and involve side effects such as nausea, fatigue and hair loss amongst others._

_Governor Thropp spent the Lurlinemas period at Shiz with his daughters. He plans to spend as much time in Shiz as possible over the next few months as Elphaba continues her treatment, leaving his officials to run Munchkinland in his absence. _

"_I have full confidence in my Government officials to be able to run Munchkinland smoothly in my stead in those periods when I am away," the Governor said when asked for a comment._

"_I'm sure all Munchkins will understand that my family and the health of my daughter is my priority at this time; although I will be able to return for any urgent matters that must be dealt with."_

_It is understood that the diagnosis has been a shock to the family, particularly Nessarose, 19, who is close to the sister who has essentially raised her after their mother's death. _

_The _Post _has contacted Shiz University for a statement, but there had been no response at the time of print. _

_Governor Thropp has thanked all Munchkins for their support and well-wishes, and requested privacy for his family at this time. There is no word from doctors whether or not the birth defect that resulted in Elphaba's abnormal skin colour could have anything to do with the diagnosis."_

Having her skin referred to as a birth defect was nothing new for Elphaba, but Galinda looked horrified.

"_Birth defect?"_

Elphaba shrugged. "Well-"

"Don't even try and justify that term, Elphaba Thropp," Galinda cut her off sharply.

Elphaba remained silent, but she easily could have justified it.

Galinda re-read the article, silently this time.

"I'm surprised they didn't mention Fiyero. Is he not that famous in Munchkinland?"

Elphaba snorted. "Don't confusify fame with infamy, Galinda. And he is known, but why would they mention him?"

"Um, because you're dating," Galinda replied as though it were obvious.

"Yes, but no one outside of Shiz knows that," Elphaba retorted. "Besides, well- his parents... and the CEC... my point is, that news is not public knowledge in Munchkinland."

"Although it probably will be very soon now," Nessarose spoke up. "Think about it, if they're coming _here _for news, they'll find out. And there's other students here from Munchkinland."

"Oh great. Because Munchkins don't have enough reasons to talk about me already," Elphaba muttered.

She was still mulling over the article when Michi arrived at her room. The others, who were going to into town as Elphaba met with Michi, stopped by to be introduced, and then left the two alone to talk.

"How are you feeling?" she asked her gently.

"Like I got run over by a carriage," Elphaba replied dryly. "So, it's a good day."

Michi laughed gently. "It will get better towards the end," she promised.

"You mean right before they give me the next dose and make me feel even worse?"

"Pretty much," Michi agreed.

She sat down on Elphaba's desk chair as Elphaba lay on her bed, grimacing slightly at the ache in her legs.

"So, what's on the agenda for today? Another list?"

Michi leaned back. "Well, I just wanted to chat mostly. But speaking of lists, how did you go with the last one? Last time we met, you'd been having trouble with it."

Elphaba hesitated. "It was hard at first. Just because I've never really thought I had much to look forward to- even before the cancer. But I had some help in the end. Did you want to see it?"

"No," Michi shook her head with a smile. "I just wanted you to do it."

Elphaba couldn't help but feel slightly put out about that, she didn't love doing tasks for no reason. But Michi didn't seem to notice as she lifted the bag she'd brought with her from the floor.

"These are for you to borrow."

Elphaba looked in the bag curiously, and her interest was immediately peaked when she saw books inside the bag. As she drew them out one by one and looked at the covers, she saw they were all cancer-related. But they weren't medical books. Rather, they bore titles such as, _Beating Cancer: 20 Natural, Spiritual and Medical Remedies that can slow- and even reverse- cancer's progression; Beat Cancer with your mind: A spiritual guide to self-healing; _and the one that made Elphaba raise an eyebrow most, _Beating Cancer Can be fun: Cancer fighting strategies for first time diagnosed cancer patients._

"_Fun?!" _she cried sceptically. "Oz, does this guy have a messed up idea of fun."

Michi chuckled. "Just give them a try. You may not always agree with what they have to say, but you won't know what you find helpful until you read them."

Elphaba nodded. "Thank you."

Michi also talked to her about what foods doctors had proven were best to keep cancer patients strong during their treatments; foods rich in iron and protein. When she'd left, Elphaba picked up the book that was atop the pile and began flicking through it uncertainly.

Michi had been right, there were some things that she found interesting and that could be helpful. Others not so much. A small thin book that had gone unnoticed earlier entitled _The Power of the Imagination in Healing _earned her ire within the first chapter, when the author claimed that patients could beat cancer simply by "visualising the cancer cells and each night engaging in meditation and send positive energy towards them." By the time it began to describe visualisation techniques such as "envisioning the cancer cells as blobs of red and sending waves of white light to cleanse and destroy them, until all traces of red have been transformed to white," Elphaba had had enough.

"If you envision anything hard enough, it can happen. If the cancer cells spread, it may be a sign you need to further harness your powers of imagination."

She slammed the book shut, but found that wasn't satisfying enough. Without another thought, Elphaba got up, opened the window and promptly tossed the book outside.

_Um, that was a loan, _a voice in her head reminded her, but Elphaba disregarded it. She was too peeved to care at the moment.

She settled back down on her bed with another book, the one Boq had given her for Lurlinemas and began to read. She'd only gotten through a page or so, when the door flew open and Galinda rushed in.

Looking up in alarm, Elphaba saw Boq and Fiyero following her into the room, Boq holding a bloodied hand to his head.

"What happened?" she gasped, swinging her legs over the side urgently.

"A mysterious flying object fell from the sky," Fiyero explained.

Elphaba frowned. "Myst-"

She reflexively threw up her hands to catch what he threw to her, and when she recognised the book in her hands, she grimaced apologetically.

"Sorry, Boq."

Boq turned to her as Galinda returned from the bathroom with their small first aid kit and a damp cloth.

"_Sorry?!_ Why in Oz's name are you tossing _books _out the _window? _And without looking to see if anyone is below first?! You could have _killed _me!"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "It's a small paperbook, not a house! Overreact, much? And where's Nessa?"

Fiyero sat on the end of the bed, watching as Galinda began to clean the cut on Boq's hairline.

"Nessa's at _The Wilted Rose. _One of her friends got back from vacation today, so they're catching up."

Elphaba moved closer to inspect it for herself.

"How did that even drawn blood? It's a _paperback," _she stressed again. "It's only a few hundred pages!"

Fiyero stifled a laugh as Boq glared at him.

"He fell over after the book hit him and cut his head on a rock," he explained in a low voice to Elphaba.

That made much more sense to Elphaba.

"So," Fiyero said conversationally. "Considering you usually treat books as though they're made of glass; do you want to tell us why you're suddenly throwing them out windows?"

Elphaba sat down beside him, her head held high.

"It's stupid."

"I'm sure it's not, we won't laugh," Fiyero promised her and Elphaba glared at him.

"The _book _is stupid."

"Did you find a spelling or grammar mistake?" Galinda asked knowingly.

"No," Elphaba rolled her eyes, although that _did_ drive her crazy.

"Well, it fell pretty fast. It must have been some throw."

"Well, it obviously wasn't visualising hard enough that it could fly," Elphaba retorted snarkily.

As the others exchanged lost glances, Elphaba sighed and explained. "This moron is under the impression that if I concentrate hard enough, the cancer cells will magically vanish."

She was still glaring at the book, and Fiyero slowly moved it away, lest she throw it out the window again.

"Well... that's an interesting theory," Galinda finally said, as she stuck a bandage on Boq's head.

"Sounds pretty dumb to me. I mean, if that was enough, we wouldn't need medicine or magic, right?" Boq asked.

"_Thank you!" _Elphaba exclaimed, happy to have someone agree with her.

"Doesn't that just go with all the positive thinking stuff?" Fiyero asked.

Elphaba scoffed. "Having a positive attitude is _not_ the same thing as believing you can imagine your cancer away."

"I'm sure some people think it works though," Galinda offered.

"Some people also think my skin is contagious," Elphaba pointed out. "Just because people think something, doesn't make it true."

"Some people are so empty-headed they'll believe anything," Fiyero said agreeably, but it didn't sound very convincing.

Elphaba looked at him, sensing there was something he wasn't saying. "What?"

Fiyero shrugged lightly. "Nothing, really. It's just... I'm not saying this would work," he added hastily. "But... I can see why people believe it. I mean, that's something that you can actively do, isn't it? Something other than relying on magic and medicine."

"Like when you cut your hair," Galinda added. "Something that you could control. Like a coping mechanism."

Fiyero grinned. "And if your coping mechanism is throwing books out windows, we might need to fix that."

"It was _one_ book," Elphaba interjected, but she was beginning to see what they meant.

"I probably didn't need to throw the book out the window," she admitted. "It's just... I'm so tired of this," she said wearily.

"I'm tired and I'm angry... I'm sick of feeling worse since I started this than I ever did before I knew I had cancer. I'm still not sure if I think all this psychological stuff and positive thinking is actually worth anything or not. And reading suggestions that if I just_ think _hard enough, I'll get better... it just makes me more angry."

"Well... maybe we just need to find a way for you to release that," Galinda suggested.

"Or channel it into something," Fiyero added.

"That is not throwing books out of windows," Boq agreed.

Elphaba gave a small smile. "Like what?"

Immediately they began to toss around suggestions, some serious and some clearly not, like Fiyero's idea of throwing water balloons off the roof- although Elphaba couldn't really be sure about if that was a joke or not.

As she listened, she couldn't help but feel the anger and tension within her ease. She might still be angry, but it helped to remember that the cancer had at least brought her closer to her friends and family. She couldn't be anything but grateful about that.

**AN. BTW, all the books (except the one Elphaba threw out the window) are real. Even the 'Beating cancer can be fun' one. I kid you not. **


	23. Chapter 23

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. BONUS SURPRISE UPDATE! For my beautiful friend Julia-Caesar, who is 16 TODAY! (I'm going on Australian time, but you're not far off Jules). Happy birthday lovely! Sweet sixteen! In addition to your awesome present, but I am sending you virtual hugs, redbull and Vinkun wildflowers. And of course, lots and lots of love. You're an awesome friend and a beautiful human being. I love you! **

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Fiyero was not happy about not going to the hospital with Elphaba for her second dose of potions. As much as a bore it had been hanging around the hospital for hours, at least he was _there _and could help her as much as he could. And his unhappiness showed too.

"Make sure she's warm," he instructed Nessa and Galinda that morning, as they waited for Elphaba to finish in the bathroom. "Because she gets cold and the rooms are freezing. They don't always give you enough blankets, but if you ask the nurses they'll give you more."

"Ok, Fiyero," Nessa said patiently.

"And have you got enough books and magazines? Because she gets bored and it's a long time to keep her busy," he warned.

"We know, Fiyero," Galinda reassured him.

"And when they do the blood test beforehand, one of you will have to hold her hand. It'll hurt, and she won't say she needs it, but it'll happen. It's like a reflex."

"Yes, Fiyero. We know."

"After a while, she starts feeling nauseous. She won't feel up to talking or doing anything, but she likes to be read to. It gives her something to focus on and makes her feel better."

"Ok."

"And try and get her to eat something light before they start. Crackers or something. Just to have something in her stomach before it starts. It seemed to help last time."

"Sure, Fiye-"

"And if she feels _really_ sick, the crackers might help. Or ice chips, or popsicles. You can get them at the nurses' station in the cancer ward."

"O-"

"Oh, and you can also-"

"_Fiyero!" _Galinda cut him off loudly. "We have got this, okay? Oz, _relax! _You're more panicky than my cousin was when she left her baby with a sitter for the first time."

Fiyero cleared his throat, looking sheepish. "Sorry."

Nessa smiled sympathetically. "Everything will be fine, Fiyero. Honestly."

"Yeah, I guess," he acknowledged reluctantly.

Just then Elphaba exited the bathroom. "Hey. I thought you weren't coming today," she greeted him.

"I'm not," he said unhappily, but forcing a smile. "I just wanted to see you off. How are you feeling, Fae?"

"Thrillified about all the joy and excitement that awaits me today," she replied dryly.

"So, almost normal then," he grinned.

"We should go Fabala, or we'll be late," Nessa said gently.

Before leaving, Fiyero kissed Elphaba softly. "If you need me for _anything, _send word and I'll come," he told her sternly.

"OK," Elphaba replied obediently, but she knew she wouldn't.

Nessarose and Galinda followed all of Fiyero's instructions, just so they could reassure him they did. Nessa held her sister's hand through all the needles and Galinda fussed over Elphaba like a mother hen.

"Galinda, what in Oz's name?!" Elphaba protested as her best friend tried to pile a third blanket on her.

"Hey, the last thing I need is your boyfriend giving me crap because you shivered," Galinda said flatly.

"Fiyero's not even here!"

"That doesn't mean he won't know. And then he'll have my head."

"She has a point," Nessarose laughed lightly.

About half an hour into it, Galinda and Nessa began playing a game of Truth.

"If you could have anything right now, what would it be?" Galinda asked.

Nessa paused thoughtfully. "Every year on my birthday, when I made a wish on my cake, I used to wish for the ability to walk. But now... I'd happily spend the rest of my life in this chair without complaint if it means you'll be okay, Fabala," she said softly, taking her sister's hand.

Elphaba didn't know what to say, she was so incredibly touched by her sister's words.

"Thanks, Nessie."

Galinda looked teary. "OK, nothing I could say can top that," she laughed at herself. "Elphie, is that what you want?"

"To be healthy? Well, that'd be the obvious answer, wouldn't it?" Elphaba replied.

"But I'd take anything at this point. A crystal ball."

"A crystal ball?" Nessa frowned slightly. "What would you do with that?"

Elphaba shrugged. "Look about five years into the future... see what it's like. If I _have _a future."

Galinda scoffed, to the Thropp sisters' great surprise. "We don't need a crystal ball, Elphie. All we need is pen and paper."

Elphaba frowned. "What _are_ you talking about?"

Galinda took a piece of paper and a pen, drawing a large square in the middle of the sheet. Above the top of the square, she wrote four letters- M, A, S and H. Underneath the square she wrote the numbers zero to three.

"Galinda, what-?"

Galinda ignored them.

"Now, I need three names of people you might marry. Of course, Fiyero. Who else?"

Nessa didn't understand what was going on, but she was willing to play along. "Boq?"

Elphaba made a face reactively. _"Boq?!"_

"Hey, I dated him!" Nessa defended him.

"Well, yeah but... it's Boq!"

"Well, you don't know that many guys, Elphie," Galinda pointed out. "We still need a third. What about Lau? That's Fiyero's CEC friend, right?"

"Yes..."

"OK."

Galinda wrote the names down the left hand side of the box.

"And now three occupations."

"Princess," Nessa answered immediately. "Or would it be queen?"

Galinda paused. "Hmmm... I'll just write 'princess' for now. And what else? Teacher? Lawyer?"

"She could be a teacher," Nessa agreed. "But I think the third should be something really impressive."

"Princess isn't impressive?" Elphaba muttered.

"What about Grand Vizier to the Wizard?" Galinda suggested with a laugh and added it to the list on the right side of the box.

"OK, now say stop, Elphie," Galinda ordered her and began to draw a spiral inside the box.

"Stop," Elphaba said immediately, just wanting to get whatever this was over with.

Galinda stopped drawing and began counting the lines from one side of the spiral to another.

"Four," she murmured to herself.

As the girls watched, Galinda began counting as she went through each of the words written around the edge of the box. She drew a line through every fourth option she came to, and skipped over the ones with lines through them as she came to them. When there was only one option on each side, she grinned.

"OK! You're going to live in a house, marry Boq, have two kids and be a princess. There, _that's _ your future!"

Elphaba laughed. "How do you propose that I become a princess if I'm marrying _Boq?"_

"Er... I'm not sure," Galinda admitted.

"Let's do yours, Galinda," Nessa suggested.

"Sure," Galinda agreed instantly. "I can't believe you don't know this. My friends and I used to do these constantly as kids. But it got you to smile, right Elphie?"

Elphaba smiled. "Yeah, it did. Thanks, Glin."

"Well, let's just hope I'm going to marry someone adorable," Galinda grinned and flicked to a fresh piece of paper.

By the time the second potion was entering her system, Elphaba began to feel sick once more. This time, however, it wasn't just nausea and Galinda held her hair back for her as she threw up.

"Did this happen last time?" Nessa asked anxiously.

"Nope," Elphaba choked out hoarsely, reaching for a cup of water to rinse out her mouth.

"I'll get the nurse," Galinda said, helping Elphaba to lie down again.

She was gone before Elphaba could remind her that they had known this was a possibility and probably nothing to be worried about.

Nessa took her hand silently, still looking worried. Elphaba wanted to say something to comfort her sister, but felt too wretched to do so. The taste in her mouth was disgusting, and she just huddled underneath her blankets miserably, shivering.

Galinda returned with a nurse after a few moments, and when Elphaba opened her eyes, she was surprised to see it was Michi.

"How are you doing, Elphaba?" she asked gently.

Elphaba looked at her solemnly. "Do you actually need me to answer that?"

Michi smiled. "No, I think that about sums it up. Is this the first time you've thrown up today?"

"It is," Nessa spoke up, knowing Elphaba really wasn't up to speaking.

"I thought the point of the anti-nausea potion was so that she _didn't _throw up?" Galinda asked bluntly.

Elphaba would have laughed if she didn't feel so bad. Galinda clearly didn't remember Fiyero saying the same thing when she had been sick over Lurlinemas.

"That's the aim," Michi acknowledged Galinda's question. "Now, Elphaba, do you have any pain in your stomach? Do you feel bloated at all?"

Elphaba shook her head in answer to both questions.

"OK, if she has any of those symptoms, or vomits more than five times in an hour, send for a nurse," Michi said to Galinda and Nessarose. "Otherwise... it's not fun, but it's nothing to be concerned about."

Nessa looked disappointed. "We can't do _anything?"_

"Gum," Michi advised.

The three girls exchanged puzzled glances. "Gum?" Galinda repeated.

"To get the taste out of her mouth," Michi explained. "Trust me. And make sure you drink Elphaba, to replace your fluids. If you can stomach it, eat something light. But don't push yourself. Take it slow. OK?"

Elphaba nodded. "Thank you," she murmured.

"I'll get some gum," Galinda volunteered and left the room again with Michi.

Elphaba smiled wryly at Nessa. "Told you it wasn't that exciting."

"I don't know, this is pretty thrillifying," Nessa replied lightly.

"Sure, watching me lie here and throw up... high scale entertainment," Elphaba mumbled.

Then she sighed. "I don't suppose there's any chance Fiyero won't find out about this?"

"Not likely," Nessa agreed.

"And I don't suppose he'll be calm and rational when he finds out."

"No, I don't imagine so."

Elphaba sighed again, knowing Fiyero would be glued to her side once he found out what had happened. "I didn't think so."

**AN. We will be resuming our usual updating schedule after this. Meaning, tomorrow. That's right. 3 updates, 3 days. Because I'm a nice person ;) 3 reviews?**

**Also, the MASH game is also real. It was big when I was in primary school. And now there's an app for it- because there's an app for everything. LOL**


	24. Chapter 24

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked is **_**not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. Today is (one of) my Wicked anniversary! It's been 3 years today since I saw _Wicked _for the 2nd time. It was in Sydney, and Jemma Rix, Lucy Durack and Tim Campbell were Elphaba, Glinda and Fiyero respectively. **

**And even though I'd liked Tim Campbell beforehand, I've loved him ever since. And it was this show that inspired me to start writing my own Wicked fanfiction!**

**Also,I forgot to mention with the MASH things I didn't make it up, I actually played it to get Elphaba's future and that was the result. Lol. And to Elphaba'sGirl- does anyone?**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

"I hear she's had it for years and she's stopped responding to treatment."

"I hear she gave herself a tumour trying to degreenify herself."

"I hear she's only been given three months to live."

"I hear Fiyero proposed so they can be married before she dies."

It didn't take long before students returning to Shiz after Lurlinemas knew about Elphaba Thropp having cancer. This was partly due to other Munchkinland students spreading the news, and also as the news trickled into other provinces, which surprised Elphaba.

"Why do they care?" she asked the others.

"Gilikin is right next to Munchkinland," Galinda pointed out. "We get some news from there. I'm pretty sure we heard when your mother died. And this is fairly big news."

"And as for the Vinkus... well, I think they found out about us," Fiyero replied. "Which explains it."

Rumours were rife all over campus, seemingly fuelled by the fact that so few had actually seen Elphaba, which seemed to confirm suspicions she was on her deathbed. In reality however, the second dose of potions had hit Elphaba much harder than the first and she had been mostly confined to bed as she wrestled with fatigue, body aches, bouts of excessive vomiting and, unlike last time, diarrhoea. Elphaba had been mortified initially about it, but after three days, she was too weak to feel anything.

Her friends were all excellent at keeping her hydrated, practically forcing water down her throat in between everything. Elphaba was immensely grateful for all of them, she knew it was as bad for them as it was for her.

Being bedridden meant she was oblivious to all the rumours. The others however, weren't, although they never told Elphaba what was being whispered about her. But that didn't mean they didn't discuss them.

"If I was going to believe any of them, it would be the proposal," Boq admitted to them as they were eating in the cafeteria the first day of classes after holidays.

Fiyero was startled. "Seriously?"

Boq shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, you love Elphaba and she loves you... it doesn't seem that unrealistic."

"You haven't thought about it?" Galinda asked Fiyero.

Fiyero paused. "I'm going to marry her," he said firmly. "But not like this. She's going to beat this. She will. And I don't want the memory of proposing to her, or our wedding to be like this. Elphaba deserves the best."

Nessa smiled softly. "I'm glad I'm going to have you as my brother-in-law," she told him and Fiyero grinned.

"Well, why wouldn't you be?" he asked with forced cheer and they laughed.

Elphaba's teachers were all very understanding of the situation, and all were happy to give work to one of her friends to pass on, so that Elphaba could work on it as much as she could whenever she had the energy.

When Galinda returned to their room after the first day of classes, she found Elphaba sitting on her bed with a box in front of her. On a closer look, Galinda saw it was the box of scarves that she and Nessa had given her for Lurlinemas.

"Elphie? What are you doing?"

In response, Elphaba held up her hairbrush, and Galinda didn't know what to say as she saw the chunk of hair amongst the bristles. There was no denying it anymore- Elphaba was losing her hair.

Gently, Galinda sat next to her friend, and drew out a scarf, a dark grey one with a silver pattern.

"I like this one," she offered.

Elphaba managed a wry smile. "I'm surprised you didn't pick the pink one."

"Well, I tried to pick one you'd actually wear," Galinda giggled. "Here, let me help."

She arranged the scarf on Elphaba's head and fit it into place. When it was completed, all of Elphaba's remaining hair was covered.

Elphaba cautiously reached up and touched her head.

"How did you know how to do that?" she asked her friend in surprise.

Galinda shrugged. "I just did," she replied vaguely.

The truth was, she had been secretly practicing in preparation for this day, although she wouldn't tell Elphaba that.

"I can teach you if you want," she offered.

Elphaba nodded. "Sure. Thank you."

As Galinda taught Elphaba step-by-step how to tie the scarf on her head, she kept up a steady stream of commentary about everything that had happened that day in her classes.

"A lot of people asked about you," she said.

Elphaba raised an eyebrow slightly. "Really?"

"Yeah. I had heaps of people asking how you were feeling."

"Is this for a betting pool or...?"

"_Elphaba!"_ Galinda scolded. "They were completely sincere!"

"Alright. If you say so," Elphaba surrendered, although she was doubtful.

"Are you feeling any better?" Galinda changed the subject.

"Well, I'm sitting up. And I haven't thrown up in... three hours," Elphaba answered, after checking the time.

"So, that's a yes," Galinda smiled slightly.

"Yeah, I might even be able to get out of bed tomorrow."

Galinda supressed a smile and shook her head. It always amazed her that no matter how bad she felt, Elphaba could still manage to sound sarcastic.

"All of your teachers said for you to take as much time as you need, and if you want any help, just to send word with me and they'll arrange it."

"That's nice of them," Elphaba said sincerely, although she doubted she'd take them up on it.

If Dr Dillamond was still here, perhaps, but Nessa had always said she was "viciously independent", which Elphaba took as a compliment.

Elphaba was determined to get to class, so she was thrilled the next morning when she could actually find the energy and motivation to get out of bed and shower.

"Why don't you just start with one class?" Galinda suggested, hovering anxiously as Elphaba pulled on her shoes. "You know, ease into it?"

Elphaba stared at her in exasperation.

"We just don't want you to overdo it!" Galinda protested.

"_We?" _

Galinda stalled. "Yes... we. You know... me... and _you_. We."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow pointedly.

"_OK_, Fiyero and I... and Nessa. And Boq," Galinda admitted.

"You guys talk about me?"

"Of course we do! We're your friends... and sister... and boyfriend... but you know what I mean! We're worried about you! And we all know-including you- that you are very determined and you won't let this control your life. But sometimes, sweetie... you have to take things slow. Your health is so important, and we don't want you to push yourself too much."

Elphaba couldn't protest against that, especially when Galinda gave her the puppy dog eyes.

"Fine, _one _class," she agreed reluctantly.

Galinda, gleeful with her victory, practically skipped into the cafeteria to meet the others for breakfast.

"She agreed!" she sang triumphantly to the others. "She'll be down in a minute. She wouldn't let me wait for her," she rolled her eyes slightly.

Fiyero grinned. "That's great. How's she doing?"

Galinda sobered. "Her hair's starting to fall out," she said quietly.

"I thought that had already started?" Nessa frowned.

"I mean big chunks," Galinda explained. "She's starting to wear the scarves."

Fiyero's grin faded. "Is she okay?"

Galinda bit her lip. "Well... I think she's okay. You know Elphie, she tries not to show it."

Fiyero nodded.

When Elphaba entered a few moments later, they gave no obvious reaction to the scarf that adorned her head.

Upon sitting down, she rolled her eyes. "You guys suck at subtlety. You know that, right?"

Fiyero leaned over and kissed her. "Do we get points for trying?"

"No," she replied, but she was smiling.

Sitting back against the chair, she glanced around.

"Although, you're better than these guys," she commented, looking around the cafeteria and seeing students staring at her openly.

Most of them weren't even pretending to hide the fact that they were staring at her.

"Yes, you're a popular topic of discussion around campus," Boq nodded.

"Well that's new," Elphaba said sarcastically.

"Are you hungry, Fabala?" Nessa asked her sister. "Do you want something to eat?"

"Does that matter?" Elphaba asked, knowing she was getting food to eat no matter whether she was hungry or not.

"No," Nessa responded honestly with a smile.

Once Elphaba had eaten, they headed off to their respective first classes.

"If I feel _really _good, can I stay for a second class?" Elphaba asked Fiyero as he helped her to her feet.

"Maybe tomorrow," Fiyero responded.

Elphaba sighed, feeling like she was five years old and asking her parents to stay up beyond her bedtime.

Her one class for the day was Political Science and when she entered the classroom with Fiyero and Nessa by her side, she was slightly taken aback how everyone's eyes immediately turned to her. And for Elphaba, that was saying something.

In the cafeteria that morning, people had stared but it had most been at the back of her. However, now she was faced with twenty other people staring directly into her eyes. And they weren't wary stares like when people stared at her skin. These were different. The room went dead silent, everyone just waited and watched to see what Elphaba would do. And in that moment, Elphaba realised she had truly graduated from The Green Girl to The Green Girl With Cancer. It wasn't a fun feeling.

"What do I do?" Elphaba murmured from the corner of her mouth so that only Nessa and Fiyero could hear.

"Just act normal. Let's go sit down," Fiyero replied in a low voice.

He led the sisters to seats in the front row where there was room for Nessa's chair. Their teacher wasn't there yet, and the room was completely silent. Elphaba was more than used to uncomfortable silences, but it was unnerving.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and rose to her feet, turning to address the classroom before Fiyero or Nessa could protest.

"Alright, let's get this over with. Yes, I have cancer. Yes, I am losing my hair. No, I am not dying- at least not that I know of and probably not today. Are there any other questions or comments so you can spread the word to all your friends and everything can get back to normal?"

Silence met her announcement, as her classmates exchanged glances. Finally, Milla, sitting up the back of the room (so she could make out with her current boyfriend during the lecture undetected) raised her hand slowly.

Elphaba was surprised, she had never actually had anyone respond to one of her speeches with an actual question before.

"Yes?"

"Um... are you okay?"

Elphaba was speechless for a moment, surprised by the sincerity in Milla's tone. "I've been better, but I'm okay... thank you," she answered.

Another girl a few rows back raised her hand. "Are you and Fiyero still dating?"

Her friend replied before Elphaba could form words. "Of course they are. Why would you ask that?"

"Well, I just thought I'd ask! She has no hair, so..."

"She's _green! _Do you think no hair is going to bother him?"

"_Okay!" _Fiyero exclaimed furiously, jumping to his feet and facing their classmates.

"Does anyone have any questions or comments that _aren't _incredibly offensive?"

No one raised their hand, although Elphaba noted that several people looked as though they had a question they wanted to ask, but weren't sure whether it would be deemed offensive or not.

Having that settled, Elphaba sat back down gratefully, feeling rather drained suddenly. Fiyero took his seat too, taking her hand tightly as the teacher entered. The teacher looked a bit surprised to see Elphaba in class, but didn't single her out.

At first, it felt normal and Elphaba was exhilarated to be back in class like a normal person. She was taking notes, not quite at her usual speed, but still faster than most people in the class. For a moment, it was as though this was taking place last semester- before Elphaba was sick. Or before she knew she was sick, at least.

About fifteen minutes into the lecture however, Elphaba began to see why her friends had insisted on her only attending one class. She could feel her energy draining, and her arms grew too heavy to continue writing.

"Are you okay?" Fiyero whispered to her, noticing when she laid down her pen.

"Tired," she admitted in a murmur, hating to do so.

Fiyero slipped his arm around her shoulders and drew her close, and Elphaba laid her head on his shoulder.

She just listened to the rest of the lecture, her head nestled against Fiyero and fighting the urge to close her eyes and sleep.

Her mouth was hurting her, as more sores had developed overnight from the potions. Elphaba was pretty sure she heard absolutely nothing of the last fifteen minutes of the lecture, every single thought was directed at her longing for a popsicle, which helped with the pain. Even swallowing saliva was painful.

"I need a popsicle," she said the second the teacher dismissed them.

Fiyero didn't question her, and he wasn't one to ever say no to a popsicle.

"Sure, let's go," he agreed. "Nessa, you want a popsicle?"

Nessa smiled. "I don't really eat popsicles in January. You guys go ahead. Make sure you get some rest, Fabala."

"Yes, mom," Elphaba rolled her eyes with a faint smile as she and Fiyero left.

Nessa chuckled as she headed off in the other direction towards her next class.

Elphaba was in a bad mood as she ate her popsicle. She was tired, her mouth hurt and she was just... over it. And Fiyero wasn't much happier, still furious about the question that the girl and her friend had asked.

Although it did make Elphaba laugh when he bit into the popsicle angrily and promptly got brain freeze. When he had recovered, Elphaba sighed and looked around at the people trying to discreetly stare at her.

"You know what? I'm going back to my room. I think I'm done being ogled for the day."

"I'll walk you," Fiyero said immediately.

Elphaba sighed again, a note of exasperation in her voice. "It's a one minute walk. I can manage on my own."

"It's no big deal, Fae-"

"Fiyero, I'm fine. I don't need an escort or a bodyguard to walk across the courtyard and up two flights of stairs!" she exclaimed.

Fiyero paused, forcing himself to stop and not respond. Mood swings hadn't been uncommon even _before _she had gotten sick, but he was trying to be patient and understanding. Unfortunately for him, that often came across as coddling to Elphaba.

She stalked off towards her dorm building, and Fiyero followed hastily.

"Fae, I didn't say you need a bodyguard. I just thought I'd walk with you!" he protested. "That we could have a few moments together... _not _in class. You know?"

Elphaba felt a little bad about that, but she still wasn't in the mood. "Maybe later. I just need some time alone right now. I _hate _this."

"I know you do," Fiyero said sympathetically.

Elphaba yanked the door to the building open and screwed her eyes up in frustration.

"Fiyero, I don't want _sympathy _right now. Especially from _you."_

Fiyero tried not to step in as he noticed Elphaba's steps faltering slightly on the second flight of stairs.

"I'm just saying that I know what you're going through," he said gently as she opened the door to her room.

Elphaba whirled around to face him, and he was surprised at the anger in her eyes.

"No, you don't! You have no idea what I'm going through or how hard this is for me!"

Fiyero was stung by that. "Elphaba, I've been there for all of this. I _do _know what you're going through."

"Watching it is not the same as going through it," she said, her voice shaking slightly.

"You think it's easy for me to watch? To see how sick you are? To know there's nothing I can do to help you?" Fiyero demanded incredulously.

"Well, you don't have to watch!" Elphaba snapped back. "I gave you the choice to walk away. It still stands. Any time you want it."

Fiyero froze as she turned away, her voice breaking slightly.

He stepped forward and grasped her arm, making her turn to him.

"_Hey! _I am _not _going anywhere. No matter what. And you can't push me away because some idiot girls got in your head."

Elphaba gaped at him. "What-?"

"And don't say they didn't, because I know they did," Fiyero cut her off.

"Don't do it Fae. You've never let what anyone says bother you before."

"Not caring and pretending not to care are two different things. You know that," she muttered, avoiding his gaze.

He cupped her face in his hands. "Don't push me away, Fae. I'm not going anywhere. No matter what. Do you understand that?"

Elphaba didn't know what to say.

"I don't want you to regret-"

"The only thing I would regret is losing any more moments with you," he said. "You want to get mad, get mad. If you want to cry, cry. But please don't shut me out and try and push me away. Because there is so little I can do to help you, and I'm trying the best I can."

Elphaba blinked, feeling guilty again.

"I know, I'm sorry. You're trying... everyone's trying. And I'm just being a bitch."

She sighed heavily, moving away from him and sinking on to her bed.

"We get it, Fae. We don't take it personally."

She glared at him. "This is when you're supposed to say 'no, Fae you're not being a bitch.'"

Fiyero grimaced apologetically. "Sorry. Um... redo?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Forget it."

Fiyero kissed the top of her head. "Next time. I'll let you have some space, okay?"

She looked up at him as he got to his feet. "Are we okay?"

Fiyero bent down and kissed her. "Always. I love you."

"I love you too."

Fiyero left, turning at the door, unable to help himself from teasing her slightly. "Don't throw any books out of windows, okay?"

The pillow she threw at him hit the door as he hastily closed it, but he'd seen her smile. That was all he wanted.

**AN. Also, Friday was Daffodil Day here in Australia, so I bought 3 bouquets. One for my grandfather, one for my mother's closest friends who has had and beat Hodgkin's Lymphoma twice, and one for Elphaba :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**Chapter Twenty- Five**

Even if she wasn't attending classes that frequently anymore, Elphaba was still learning every day. For example, she was learning that you never got used to waking up in the morning to find chunks of hair on your pillow. And that hair loss extended to eyebrows, eyelashes and every other hair on your body. That when everything tasted like cardboard, colours of food became flavours instead- and red was far better than green.

That love was when your boyfriend still wanted to kiss you when you had mouth sores and spent half an hour throwing up; and friendship was when your best friend helped you in and out of the bathtub when you were too weak to stand up on your own.

Time had lost all meaning, too much seemed to be happening in small periods of time for it to be real. When Elphaba realised it was only mid-January, she actually did a double take, thinking the calendar must be wrong.

"It's only been just over a month since I was diagnosed."

Galinda looked up from her homework with a frown. "What? No it hasn't. It's been longer than that!"

Elphaba shook her head and showed Galinda her calendar.

Galinda gaped. "Are you _serious?! _It feels so much longer than that!"

"Tell me about it," Elphaba agreed.

She sighed wearily. "I can't imagine this going on for months. If so much is happening in such a short space of time..."

Galinda nodded knowingly. Galinda had never been the best history student, but she remembered hearing stories about soldiers getting battle fatigue, leaving as boys and coming home as aged men- mentally and emotionally. Elphaba had told her how fighting cancer was often described as a war, and it seemed like every day they were finding more and more examples of how that was true.

"I had a letter from Father today," Nessa told Elphaba that day, dropping by the room to see her sister.

"Oh?"

"He'll be back in town at the end of the week."

Elphaba nodded. "OK. Did he say how long for?"

"Until something comes up that requires him to leave, I imagine," Nessa answered. "What are you up to?"

Elphaba held up her law textbook in response. "Trying to not fall drastically behind."

Galinda rolled her eyes. "Elphie, it's the second week back. You're not _drastically _behind."

"I didn't say I was. I said I'm trying to prevent that."

Galinda and Nessa shared an exasperated look. Whilst Elphaba was getting better at prioritising her health, when it came to her schoolwork she was still as stubborn as she could possibly be- which admittedly varied from day to day.

They all understood that Elphaba was trying not to let her illness define her, and keep life as normal as possible, which meant working hard at school. They all kept reminding her to only attend the classes she had energy for, and to take her time with her assignments. And Elphaba continued to surprise them.

"You aced your midterms."

Elphaba moved her legs over so that Fiyero could sit on the end of her bed. "I feel like I should be insulted by the surprise in your voice."

Fiyero handed his girlfriend her graded midterms he had collected from her teachers for her.

"Fae, you do remember under which circumstances you took these exams, right?" Fiyero asked.

"You mean, in between having tests to confirm cancer? Sure."

Fiyero was incredulous. "You still get top marks when taking exams while getting diagnosed with a serious illness?!"

Elphaba almost laughed. "Have we not met?"

Fiyero rolled his eyes and kissed her softly. "I know you're brilliant, but most people would lose focus a bit," he teased gently.

Elphaba smiled slightly as she looked over her papers. "Focusing on exams was better than focusing on the many needles I got poked with."

Fiyero wished he could say the same. His midterm results hadn't been great. He'd passed, but that was pretty much all he could boast about.

The next day, Elphaba was just leaving her morning class and debating whether or not she had the energy to attend another, when a voice called out to her.

"Miss Elphaba!"

Turning slowly on the spot so that she didn't get dizzy and feel faint- yet another unfortunate side-effect- Elphaba saw Madame Morrible bustling her way down the corridor.

"If you have a moment, I'd like to see you in my office," Morrible addressed Elphaba when she was within earshot.

"Of course, Madame," Elphaba replied immediately.

Inwardly though, Elphaba cringed. She had a feeling this was about her Sorcery class, which had far suffered the most since her diagnosis. Because it was on late in the afternoon, she had rarely attended this semester, due to lack of energy. She had been keeping up with the theory side of things, but she just had no energy to be able to try any of the spells.

When they were in her office however, Morrible surprised Elphaba once again.

"Would you like something to drink? Water, perhaps?"

"No, thank you."

Morrible looked at Elphaba over her desk carefully, before revealing what the purpose of this interview was.

"Miss Elphaba, I've had several concerns as to how your condition is interfering with your education."

Elphaba was tempted to comment on Morrible's use of the word "condition", but she managed to refrain, namely because her interest was caught on another word.

"Concerns? From who?"

"Your father, for one," Morrible said bluntly. "He's written to me asking if it would be more valuable withdrawing you until you recover."

Elphaba's eyes widened in horror, but Morrible didn't pause long enough for her to interject.

"And of course, since the media became aware, there's been much discussion amongst the Board of University Directors."

Elphaba's horror was now twinged with confusion. "Why do the Board of Directors care about my health?"

Madame Morrible looked faintly surprised, as though she was surprised Elphaba was asking it and the answer was obvious.

"Some of the Board are just unsure if Shiz is equipped to facilitate any special needs you might require," Morrible explained, sounding rather vague to Elphaba's ears.

"Especially any special _medical _needs."

Elphaba crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't think the University is open to be sued if my cancer kills me whilst on campus," she said bluntly, correctly pinpointing the unspoken issue.

"Of course not," the Headshizstress responded smoothly. "That is the least of our worries!"

Elphaba let the lie go.

"Honestly, several of the Board members, who are alumni and some of who have children who are your classmates... are worried about morale."

Elphaba wasn't sure how to react. She was torn between indignant sarcasm and the horror of what Morrible's point was.

"Are- are you asking me to leave?" she asked faintly.

The older woman looked aghast. "Of course not! You're one of our best students, and I've assured the Board you have our full support through your illness."

Elphaba interpreted that as the Board didn't want to be seen as so heartless as to make her leave when she had a potentially fatal illness.

"So... what _are _you saying?" Elphaba finally asked.

"We're going to be looking into your case and your education more closely," Morrible explained. "And then we'll re-evaluate between your doctor, your father and the Board whether perhaps your studies should be suspended until you recover."

Elphaba was very quiet. "Thank you, Madame," she said finally.

She left the office without another word.

Elphaba made her way slowly up to her dorm room, and entered to find all her friends inside.

"There you are!" Galinda exclaimed in relief. "I saw you and Horrible Morrible head into her office. What's going on?!"

Fiyero's eyes were shadowed in concern as he took in the expression on Elphaba's face.

"Fae? Are you okay?"

Elphaba sat on her bed quietly. "They might make me leave."

Boq gaped. "Who? Why? Are you failing?"

"Of _course _she isn't," Galinda snapped at the Munchkin. "What kind of dumb question is that? This is _Elphie, _we're talking about."

"Fabala, what are you talking about?" Nessa interjected, wanting to avoid an argument and find out what was going on with her sister.

Tiredly, Elphaba told them all what Morrible had told her.

"What does that mean? They're going to 'evaluate your case'?" Fiyero asked sharply.

"I don't know," she replied, trying not to sound as anxious as she felt. "Morrible didn't say."

"They'll probably talk to your teachers and look at your grades, your attendance," Boq suggested.

Elphaba moved to lean against her pillows, her head feeling heavy. "If they decide based on my attendance, I'm screwed. I haven't been to a full day of classes all semester so far."

"Don't start pushing yourself," Fiyero warned her immediately.

The thought _had_ crossed Elphaba's mind, but she also knew that was a dumb idea.

"So what do I do?" she asked them. "I don't want to leave."

Fiyero looked remarkably calm as he waved a dismissive hand.

"Easy. I'll write to my parents and they'll toss a donation to the Board in 'gratitude for their support of you in this time' or something like that and the Board will forget all about it."

Elphaba looked to her boyfriend in exasperation. "Fiyero."

"Hey, that worked to keep me in _two _schools!" he defended himself.

"For how long?" Boq smirked.

"Not that long," Fiyero admitted readily. "But my point is that it works. And this is a much more worthy cause."

Galinda looked thoughtful. "I bet it would work actually. My parents would probably do the same."

Elphaba went to protest that throwing money at a problem was not necessarily the best solution, but Nessa cut her off.

"Elphaba, your nose is bleeding!"

Elphaba touched her fingers to her nose, and winced as she saw the blood staining them when she drew her hand away.

"Oh, great. I was worried there'd be a side effect I wouldn't get," she muttered sarcastically, taking the tissues that Galinda handed her.

Fiyero and Galinda both decided they would write to their parents and try Fiyero's idea, ignoring Elphaba's protests.

"If my parents had any power or money, I'd offer to do the same," Boq said, almost apologetically.

Elphaba dismissed him, checking on the tissues and noticing with relief the bleeding had stopped, some five minutes after it had begun.

"It's fine, Boq. Really."

"It's sweet of you to offer anyway," Nessa added with a gracious smile.

Elphaba shifted position on the bed, feeling the familiar ache from the potions in her bones. They weren't that bad however, it was more the feeling like she had just had a long workout rather than the painful aches that felt like she had the flu or something.

"How are you feeling?" Fiyero asked her, noticing every little thing as he always did.

She couldn't help but smile still at his concern. "Fine. I'm starting to feel good again, actually."

Fiyero smiled sadly. That was a mixed feeling, because whilst they were all glad when Elphaba began to feel normal again, it meant it was time for her next dose of potions. He looked at her closely. She had lost so much weight in the past few weeks, and Elphaba didn't exactly have much to lose in the first place.

"Are you seeing Michi this week?" Nessa questioned.

"On Thursday. She wants me to meet her at the hospital," Elphaba answered, not terribly enthusiastic about that.

Hanging around the hospital wasn't her idea of fun, and when she was going to be there on Friday to receive her potions anyway; the thought of having to be there two days in a row was not one she relished.

"Why Thursday?" Galinda frowned, and Elphaba shrugged.

"She wouldn't say."

"I'm coming this time on Friday, right?" Fiyero asked Elphaba.

She chuckled. "If you really want to, sure."

"I might come this time too," Boq offered. "If that's alright," he added to Elphaba hesitantly.

Elphaba assured him that was fine.

"Galinda and I will meet Father then," Nessa said. "He said he should be here about eleven."

Elphaba noticed Galinda wasn't really given a choice in that, but her friend didn't seem to mind.

When Elphaba began to noticeably tire, the others- save for Galinda- took their leave.

"I'm going to go write to mom and dad," Fiyero announced.

"Tell them hi for me," Elphaba said, more an order than a request and Fiyero smiled.

"I will."

He kissed her softly. "I love you."

Elphaba smiled. "You too. Are you going to Law class this afternoon?"

Fiyero sighed and made a face. "I'm guessing there's a follow up question asking me to get notes for you attached to that question, so... yes," he grinned.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Thank you," she said, choosing not to comment on his obvious prior intention to skip class that afternoon.

When they were alone again, Galinda looked at her diary.

"There's another perk to this," she said suddenly, and Elphaba looked at her in confusion.

"A perk to what?"

"What we were talking about the other day, about how it seems so much time has passed than it actually has."

Elphaba thought back and recalled the conversation. "Oh, yeah. There's a perk to that?"

Galinda nodded. "Yes. You and Fiyero... you've only actually been together for seven months," she reminded her best friend. "But your relationship is _so _much deeper than that, even with all the time you two spent writing to one another. By the time this is over, it'll be as if you've been together for years."

"And that's a perk?" Elphaba raised an eyebrow.

"It means you skip all that drama of establishing a long term relationship. But then at the same time, once you're healthy again... it'll feel all brand new. You get the best of both worlds," Galinda explained.

Elphaba wasn't entirely sure she understood what Galinda was saying, but she got the idea. Elphaba hadn't even considered that. Right now, she was finding it difficult to ever imagine a time when she was healthy again. She wasn't sure what to say in response, but Galinda merely turned her attention to the letter she was writing to her parents, leaving Elphaba to her thoughts.


	26. Chapter 26

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. So when I was writing this chapter I put a call out on twitter that the first 5 people who tweeted me would become characters in this fic. Sophie, Darryl, Hollie, Elizabeth and The Resident Artichoke... this probably isn't what you guys had in mind. Sorry. **

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

When Elphaba met Michi at the hospital on Thursday morning, she was surprised when Michi stopped her from sitting down.

"Nope, no need. We're leaving."

Elphaba paused. "Where are we going?"

"Two floors up," Michi responded as she swept Elphaba out into the hall and towards the elevator.

Elphaba had no idea what was two floors up, despite the amount of time she spent at the hospital lately.

"How are you with people?" Michi asked casually as they waited for the elevator.

"I'm a regular convivialist," Elphaba deadpanned and Michi smiled.

"Then I think this should go well."

Michi wouldn't say what 'this' was, probably so that Elphaba couldn't protest and/or find a way to get out of it. And had Elphaba known what was waiting for her, she probably would have found a way.

Michi led her down the hall once they exited the elevator and into a small sunroom. There, Elphaba saw 4 other people, three girls and a guy all sitting in the room already. What caught her attention however, was that two of the girls were wearing head scarves similar to Elphaba's.

She instinctively paused in the doorway, but Michi continued to usher her inside, leading her directly to one of the empty chairs.

"Welcome everyone, I'm so glad you could all make it," Michi greeted everyone. "I've been meeting with everyone separately, and I thought it would be nice to get you all together. Sometimes, even though we have friends and family around us, it's nice to be able to talk with people who know exactly what you're going through."

Elphaba kept silent, looking at her lap. She could feel the others staring at her, but at least this time she knew it was definitely because of the green and not because of any visible signs that she had cancer. She was good at coping with _those _stares- she'd had a lot of practice.

"So, why don't we go around the circle and introduce ourselves?" Michi suggested. "Nothing too scary. Just name, age, what type of cancer and how long since your diagnosis?"

_Ah, the basic statistics, _Elphaba thought dryly.

Michi gestured to the girl on her right. "Zofia, why don't you start?"

The girl nodded. "I'm Zofia, I'm twenty- four and I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia three months ago."

After Zofia was Lilijana, who was twenty and had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer six months ago. Derryl was a nineteen year old testicular cancer patient, who had been undergoing treatment for three months. He and Zofia, Elphaba learned, had struck up a friendship in Dr Crowe's waiting room, being diagnosed the same week.

Shaira was twenty-two and had just been diagnosed with ovarian cancer three weeks ago; and Hollei was sixteen. Hollei had been fighting non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for almost a year. That statement was alarming for Elphaba, not just because of her young age but the fact that it had been almost a year.

Michi caught her attention and gave a small nod, and she jumped slightly, realising it was her turn and everyone was staring at her once more.

"I'm Elphaba," she said shortly. "I'm twenty-two, and I have Hodgkin's lymphoma. Diagnosed almost six weeks ago."

Shaira looked hesitant, and then slowly raised her hand. "Um... I didn't know that that was a possibility," she said, looking at Michi.

Michi looked confused, but Elphaba wasn't.

"I was already green," she said coolly and the girl blushed.

"Oh. Sorry."

Michi swiftly intervened. "So, I thought if there was anything you wanted to talk about? About treatment, how you're feeling, what's going on... or if you have any questions? For all your differences, you all have a lot in common."

Shaira, the only one in the room with hair, was the first to broach the awkward silence that fell.

"When did you all lose your hair?"

"I didn't lose mine in the beginning," Hollei replied. "And then over the summer, we changed my treatment to a more aggressive regime and it was gone within two weeks."

"I lost mine about a week after my first dose of potions," Zofia added.

Lilijana subconsciously touched the red and purple scarf she wore on her head as she answered Shaira's question.

"I didn't lose mine for two months. I thought I was going to be lucky enough to keep it," she said softly. "But then the chunks started to come out..."

"I didn't have that problem," Derryl said casually. "I mean, I keep- kept my hair pretty short. But I lost it after a few weeks."

"Elphaba?" Michi prodded.

Elphaba really wasn't sure about this plan. She was only really getting used to talking about her feelings with her closest friends, and now she was expected to spill her guts with a group of strangers just because they all had cancer too?

"It started thinning after my first cycle of potions," she replied reluctantly.

"What's the longest you've gone without throwing up during a potion session?" Derryl asked in interest.

The five girls, Elphaba included, stared at him with varying degrees of disgust, exasperation and amusement. Or maybe Elphaba was the only one who found any humour in that question.

Zofia turned to Elphaba. "Are you the girl at Shiz dating Fiyero Tiggular? I heard he was dating a green girl. I didn't think that was meant literally, though."

Elphaba blinked. "Um... yes."

Hollei gasped. "_The _Fiyero Tiggular? The prince?!"

Elphaba fidgeted uncomfortably. She knew that Fiyero was a source of admiration and fascination with the general public- namely, girls in and above puberty, but she never quite got used to the initial reaction to him. People at Shiz were now so used to the fact the former scandalacious prince was a classmate that it was easy to forget just how excited people could get.

Shaira shook her head. "Oz, when I heard he'd come to Shiz, it was the _one _time I regretted not going to college."

"Why didn't you?" Lilijana asked.

"I just didn't want to do more school. I hate studying," she shrugged. "Why aren't you in college?"

"I work instead... or I did work. I haven't done much lately..."

Derryl chimed in to the conversation. "I took a year off after I finished school. I went to Quox and travelled with some friends. We were going to try and pass through the Impassable desert, but then I got sick. We're planning to do it once I'm better."

"What about school?" Zofia asked.

"I'll get to it," Derryl shrugged. "I don't want to get my life back and then go spend three years studying. Are you finished?"

Zofia nodded. "I graduated two years ago with a Literature degree."

She then looked to Elphaba. "You're twenty-two and still studying? Are you doing your masters or something?"

Elphaba thought she sensed a note of judgement or condescension in her tone and she bristled.

"I started late. I take care of my sister, so we went to Shiz together. I'm in my second year."

"I didn't mean anything by it," Zofia said hastily. "I just thought... I heard you're really smart. I figured you're doing your masters or PhD or something."

Elphaba forced herself to relax. "It's no big deal," she reassured her, seeing her apologetic expression.

"I haven't even really thought about my masters... but maybe. One day."

Hollei smiled. "I'd just like to be finished with high school right now. Particularly math."

"You're still studying?" Lilijana questioned the young girl.

"Yeah, with a tutor."

The others began conversing more easily, about cancer and non-cancer related topics. Michi sat there and nodded encouragingly, mostly just listening and chiming in occasionally. Elphaba just sat there, not contributing- at least, not out loud. She was saying plenty of things internally. Of course, sometimes one of the others would say something directly to her, or ask her a question, which forced her to respond; but she kept her answers brief.

She just didn't feel like she had anything to say, and she just felt uncomfortable about the entire situation that Michi had put her in.

As soon as their hour was up, Elphaba made her excuses and headed back to campus. She was really enjoying how much energy she had that day, and wanted to make the most of it before her next potions cycle swept it all away.

She found the others sitting under the tree that she and Fiyero always deemed as 'theirs'. Elphaba approached, frowning slightly.

"You know, I don't really think it's warm enough to be sitting outside under trees just yet," she greeted them.

"We were waiting for you," Galinda explained, looking a little frozen, which proved Elphaba's point.

"You can't wait for me indoors?"

"How did it go?" Fiyero asked as they got up, ignoring her question.

Elphaba hesitated. "It was... fine, I guess."

Nessa frowned. "You guess? What did you do?"

Elphaba sighed. "She introduced me to a few other cancer patients."

"Oh, cool," Boq replied.

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "_Cool?"_

"I think it is cool that you got to meet people going through the same thing you are!" He defended himself. Then he faltered, looking at Elphaba.

"Am I wrong? Is that not cool?"

Elphaba chuckled. "I don't know if 'cool' is the right word," she said dryly as they entered _The Wilted Rose _and grabbed an empty table.

"I mean... I get the idea in theory, I guess. But... I hated being shoved into a room with people I don't even know and being expected to spill every thought and feeling just because we all have some form of cancer," she complained.

"Were they like... _old _people?" Galinda asked.

"They're around our age. The oldest is twenty-four, the youngest is sixteen," Elphaba answered.

"I think it could be a good thing for you," Nessarose said to her sister. "I mean, we're all here for you to talk to, you know that. But we don't _know _what you're going through. All we can do is sympathise, empathise if we can... and we do try, but it's not the same."

Elphaba didn't know what to say. "Nessa, you know I'm not really one to talk... I mean, now I can do it with you guys, but that's a _really_ big thing for me. I don't think I can do that with these people I've just met. Just because we share a disease, that doesn't make us friends immediately. One of the girls actually thought I was green because of the cancer. I'm not sure whether she thought it was due to the actual cancer or the treatments, but either way..."

"Elphie, you can't judge people because they've never met a person with green skin before," Galinda scolded her gently with a roll of her eyes.

"I mean, _none _of us... well, you know except Nessa and Boq, had seen something like this before. I know you hate it when people judge you by your skin. You can't judge them because of their reactions to something unusual."

Elphaba looked to Fiyero. "What do you think?"

"I think you've all raised valid points," Fiyero replied vaguely.

Elphaba stared at him pointedly, and he broke out in a grin.

"Look, I know it's not easy for you to open up, especially to people you don't know. But I think Nessa's right and this could be helpful. Like she said, as much as we try, we can't really know what you're going through. You didn't want to talk to Michi at first, but that hasn't been that bad, has it?"

"No," Elphaba admitted.

"So, why don't you try and find other things you have in common besides all having cancer?" he suggested. "And then it'll be easier for you to open up and talk to them, maybe?"

"And it couldn't hurt to make some new friends," Boq chimed in.

"I don't need more friends," Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Well, I know it's hard to find people as awesome as us," Fiyero said modestly, and Elphaba laughed.

"I hope you were being serious," Galinda scowled at Fiyero. "Because I'm not friends with just anyone, you know."

"You're friends with _Pfannee," _Elphaba said as though that refuted any argument.

"Our mothers were debutantes together!" Galinda exclaimed in explanation.

Elphaba snorted. "That's your only defence of your friendship? That your mother's have known each other for a long time? That's a really deep friendship, Glin."

Galinda paused, clearly thinking of something else to add to her defence of Pfannee as a friend.

"She has really great taste in clothes," she offered weakly.

The others all rolled their eyes in unison.

"So, where did we land on this issue?" Nessa asked, directing the conversation back on track.

Elphaba sighed. "I'll try and participate more in the group," she agreed reluctantly.

"Atta girl," Fiyero beamed at her.

"You came up," Elphaba told Fiyero.

He grinned. "Of course I did. I'm the love of your life, and quite frankly, adorable."

Elphaba stifled her laughter, and he raised an eyebrow pointedly.

"I'd like to know which part of that is funny."

"I'd probably go with the 'adorable' bit," Boq offered and Fiyero glared at him.

"No one's asking you."

"No, he's right," Elphaba said, smirking slightly.

They finally got around to ordering, Elphaba somewhat half-heartedly. When you had no tastebuds, and spent so much time being sick, you tried to avoid your favourite foods- otherwise they _definitely_ wouldn't stay that way. Unfortunately, Elphaba had learned that the hard way with coffee. Plus, that was on the list of foods to avoid when you had cancer.

Eventually, she and Fiyero excused themselves from the others to have a few moments alone.

"Are you warm enough?" Fiyero fussed and smiled slightly at Elphaba's groan.

"Ok, I get it. I'm being overprotective again."

"A little," Elphaba replied with a smile.

"Oh, by the way, my parents wrote back. They send their love and they've sent a donation to the school to get the Board off your case."

"I'm assuming those weren't the words your parents used," Elphaba said dryly and Fiyero grinned.

"No, that's me."

Elphaba sighed, which caught Fiyero's attention. "What, Fae?"

She thought about saying 'nothing', but she knew that she'd end up telling him anyway- he wouldn't let this drop.

"Galinda and I were talking the other day, and she said something."

"Considering you were talking, it would be odd if she didn't say something," Fiyero quipped, which earned him an eye roll from his girlfriend.

"Sorry. What did Glin say?"

They headed to the library, and found a corner where they could talk quietly without being overheard or disturbing anyone.

"We were talking about how it feels so much longer than it actually has been since I was diagnosed," she explained. "And Galinda was talking about what that means for us."

Fiyero thought about that carefully. "Right," he said finally.

She looked at him tiredly. "Do you realise we've only been dating for seven months?"

Fiyero did realise that, it would be their seven-month anniversary in just under two weeks, at the end of January.

"It feels a lot longer," he agreed. "But I mean, we've known each other for... what, fifteen months?"

And then he completely understood what she was saying.

"Wow. It's going to feel like we've been together _forever... _not that that's a bad thing," he said hastily.

Elphaba chuckled. "I know what you mean. But I've just been thinking... this cancer has taken over so much of my life- of all our lives. I don't want... I don't want to lose _us."_

Fiyero smiled softly, taking her hand. "We're not going to let that happen, Fae. I mean... yes, I think our relationship has changed a little since you've been sick. It's hard to be romantic when you're so sick some days-"

"And that's what I'm talking about," Elphaba interjected. "Oz knows I'm not the most romantic person around, but I feel every focus right now is on my health. And I just want everything to stay as normal as possible. Even the parts of normalcy that drive me crazy."

"That makes sense," Fiyero agreed. "We'll work on that, okay? I promise."

Then he grinned. "I can't believe _you're _encourageising _me _to be more romantic."

Elphaba rolled her eyes, laughing in spite of herself. "I know," she admitted.

"The world must be ending. You want more romance and you don't think I'm adorable."

Elphaba sighed. "Oh, sweet Oz," she muttered and Fiyero laughed.


	27. Chapter 27

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. So the general consensus of the reviews from last chapter seemed to be "yes, Fiyero is adorable". LOL**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

"For the love of Oz. How many books do you need?" Fiyero groaned, lifting the bag Elphaba was taking with her to the hospital the next day for her third potions cycle.

"I don't know what I'll feel like reading. I need options," Elphaba explained casually. "I've got some homework in there too."

She also had a large box of tissues, just in case. She'd woken up that morning with another nose bleed, and she wasn't taking any risks.

This was the first time Boq had come with Elphaba to the hospital since she had been diagnosed. He looked rather interested as he watched Elphaba have her blood count tested, drank her anti-nausea potion, which had been strengthened slightly when the nurses heard how ill she had been the last time, and then had the IV with her first potion hooked up.

"What's with you?" Elphaba asked, noting his interest.

He shrugged. "I just find this interesting."

"I'm glad someone does," she muttered.

She was in a mood, where she was feeling depressed and over this whole process. Michi and the books had assured her was normal, but Elphaba hated them because she usually wound up snapping at Fiyero or one of the others, and that made her feel worse than she already did.

"I like your scarf, Elphaba," the nurse commented warmly, as she finished adjusting the IV.

It suddenly just occurred to Elphaba this was her first cycle since beginning to wear the scarves.

"Thanks," she replied, feeling slightly awkward.

Boq settled into studying, and Fiyero lounged about doing the puzzles in the newspaper, resting his feet up on Elphaba's bed. Elphaba lifted her bag and pulled out the books on the Vinkus that Fiyero's parents had given her for Lurlinemas. She hadn't really had a chance to read through them yet, and she'd figured now was a good a time as any.

Elphaba blinked as the first picture she opened to was a beautiful, grand old stone castle.

"Is this where you live?" she asked Fiyero.

Fiyero put down his paper to look at what she was referring to.

"Oh, yeah. That's Kiamo Ko," he replied casually.

"It's beautiful," she mused, her mood forgotten.

"It's alright," Fiyero shrugged. "We have nicer ones."

Boq gaped. "You have more than one castle?"

"Yeah. We've only lived at Kiamo Ko for like two years. Our old castle had really bad storm damage."

Elphaba turned the page. "Oh, look- more royal castles," she said dryly.

She began to read aloud from the page. "'The oldest royal residence is Werillah Ev. The current primary residence, Kiamo Ko, was built three hundred years ago as a safe house for the royals during the Vinkun war with Ugabu, complete with many secret tunnels and passageways which could be used to get the royals to safety if needed. However, there are no record of these passageways ever being used, although there are rumours that-'"

"Rumours that what?" Boq pressed as she stopped mid-sentence.

Elphaba's reply was a gag, as she dropped the book and made to grab for the nearby bowl. Fiyero beat her to it and thrust it into her hands just in time. He rubbed her back comfortingly as she threw up, until she had nothing left to throw up. Boq silently handed her a tissue to wipe her mouth with and she took it with a weak murmur of thanks.

"Do you want some ice chips?"

Elphaba nodded. "Thanks, Boq."

Fiyero was worried. "Was it this bad last time?"

"What, like on a scale on one to ten?" she asked around her ice chips.

Fiyero hesitated, not sure if she was being sarcastic or not. "Um, yes?"

"I'm pretty sure throwing up is bad every time no matter what," Elphaba pointed out.

"Fae, you know what I mean," Fiyero rolled his eyes.

"It's only been one time. Give it time," she replied.

The boys didn't understand what she meant, but she proved her point to them over the next two hours. It wasn't worse than the last cycle, but it wasn't much better either. Near the end of the second potion, Elphaba was curled up in a ball on the bed, as Fiyero read her book to her, holding it up so she could see the pictures like when you read a picture book to a child. Elphaba was too tired and weak to care about that.

She stopped Fiyero with a soft hand on his arm when he came to a page of the Vinkus river.

"That's beautiful," she said softly.

Fiyero looked down at her. "You don't have water in Munchkinland?" he asked in amusement.

Elphaba lifted her eyes to Boq, who interpreted that as a silent sign for him to explain.

"We have the Munchkin River. But it's nothing like that," he nodded at the picture in the book.

"It's much smaller, and calmer. Actually, it's pretty flat."

Elphaba shifted slightly on the bed, closed her eyes with a grimace until she was sure that she wouldn't throw up again and then spoke.

"Once, when I was really little, before Momma was even pregnant with Nessa, we went to Gilikin. We went to visit Momma's parents, and she took me to Lake Chorge. I don't remember much about it, but I remember the smell. And the waves... the shore. I used to dream about it... after she died. It was so peaceful and beautiful. I was so disappointed when I saw Munchkin River and it was nothing like it."

"Have you ever been back?" Boq asked her.

"No. My grandparents died, and then Momma, she-... Well, I didn't leave Munchkinland again until I came to Shiz and-"

She stopped once more in mid-sentence and lurched upwards of her own accord as her stomach turned. In unison, Boq grabbed the bowl and held it under her as Fiyero helped support her in a sitting position, rubbing her back soothingly.

"Ugh," she said weakly, wiping her mouth with a tissue when she had finished, sagging against Fiyero.

Boq was thoughtful. "If you went to Lake Chorge before Nessa was born... you could only have been like two. How do you remember that?"

"How should I know?" Elphaba demanded, then sighed softly.

"Sorry, Boq. I just..."

"It's ok," he replied.

The nurse came in the room to switch Elphaba's IV with the third and last potion for that cycle and to check up on her. She had just left when there was a knock on the door and Nessa, Galinda and Frex entered. Elphaba was surprised to see them, but Fiyero asked the question in the forefront of her mind before she had to muster the energy to do so.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?"

"Father wanted to see Fabala," Nessa explained.

Elphaba shifted her gaze to her father, and was confused by the slightly stunned expression he couldn't quite hide from his face as he gazed at her. And then she remembered the last time Frex had been here, she had still had her hair and she was sure she didn't exactly appear the picture of health at the moment.

"How are you doing, Elphie?" Galinda asked her friend sympathetically.

"Swell," Elphaba choked out.

Boq filled the newcomers in on Elphaba had been doing, speaking in an undertone even though she could hear perfectly and none of it was news to her.

"We were just talking about Lake Chorge," Fiyero told them.

Galinda's face lit up. "Oh, really? We have a summer home at Neverdale, right on the shore!" she exclaimed brightly. "Have you ever been?"

"Once, when I was a toddler. I don't remember much," Elphaba said shortly, both because of her nausea and Frex's presence.

"It's so relaxing, I love it there. But we haven't been in a few years."

Then she gasped. "Ooh, I just had the most _thrillifying _idea! We should go! Momsie and Popsicle won't mind!"

"What, all of us?" Boq asked.

Galinda nodded eagerly. "Yes! We'll go when Elphie's better," she suggested. "I think it would be the perfect place for her to recover."

Nessa seemed excited. "I think that's a great idea! It would be so peaceful and you could just do nothing. Just relax... gain back your health," she addressed Elphaba.

Elphaba thought about that. The idea of doing nothing didn't normally relish her, but it wasn't like she had the energy to do much of anything else lately.

"Sure," she agreed.

"I'm in," Fiyero said immediately, and Boq nodded likewise.

Nessa, Galinda and Frex settled in, and Elphaba just listened to the others talk, feeling drained.

She was almost finished when Dr Crowe entered the room, greeting them all and smiling gently at Elphaba.

"Are you sick of people asking how you're feeling?" he asked knowingly.

"I'm tempted to start charging people," she replied dryly and he chuckled.

"You know, I don't think I've ever had a patient who's done that. Maybe I should start suggesting it. Now, I just wanted to check in on you and let you know that before your next cycle, we're going to be doing some more tests."

Elphaba met his gaze warily. "What tests? Why?"

"The same tests we did when you were first diagnosed," he replied readily. "So nothing new or unfamiliar. I just want to see how the potions are affecting the cancer. We'll know from the results whether we're on the right track with your treatment plan."

That made sense to Elphaba. "OK."

"So we'll sort out the details and get you booked in," he told her. "Like I said, it's nothing new. You'll do fine, you know this dance."

That caused Galinda to gasp. "Oh my Oz, I almost forgot!"

"Forgot what?" Boq asked in alarm, as Dr Crowe bid farewell and left.

In her excitement, Galinda was gushing, her words spilling over. "There were signs _all _over the _OzDust, _there's going to be a dance! Next weekend! Well, it's not really a dance, they've got this _fantabulous _band coming from the Emerald City."

"Oh, is that all? I thought it was something important," Elphaba said, rolling her eyes.

Galinda stared at her friend pointedly. "Elphie, we haven't had anything like a dance all year!"

"To be fair, they had one in November when we were all in the Emerald City," Boq said fairly.

"So not the point," Galinda dismissed him.

"It does sound like fun," Nessa said.

"Well, I'm sure you'll all enjoy it," Elphaba replied.

"You could come," Fiyero suggested to her quietly.

His girlfriend looked at him as though he were insane. "Seriously? Because that was high on my list of activities when I _wasn't_ sick?"

He grinned. "Hey, you want normal, doesn't Galinda and I dragging you to things like this count as normal?"

Elphaba managed a smile, figuring he was right.

"Why don't we plan for you to go, and just see if you're up for it when the time comes?" Nessa suggested.

"Yeah," Fiyero nodded. "And you wouldn't have to stay long," he reassured her.

Elphaba looked around at them all and nodded. "OK," she agreed.

Fiyero was right, she wanted normal and this was about as normal as you could get.

News of the dance quickly spread across campus, and gave the students (well, mostly the girls), something to talk about other than Elphaba, for once. Elphaba had also found she was feeling much better after this potion sessions than her last. Not that she was ready to do cartwheels or anything, but she was back in class by Monday, only two days afterwards, albeit doing half days. The strengthened anti-nausea potion seemed to have helped, and even though it wasn't an enormous difference to Elphaba, it was enough to raise her spirits.

It was enough to almost give her that sense of normalcy she had been missing. Even just Galinda bugging her about going dress shopping was enough to make her smile, because for one moment it was like her friend had completely forgotten she was sick.

"So the plan is to find a dress that I can coordinate with a matching head scarf?" she asked in bemusement as Galinda went on and on about colours, fabric and styles.

Galinda paused, she hadn't thought about that.

"Oh. Well... we could," she said slowly. Then she studied her friend critically. "Have you thought about a wig?"

Elphaba raised an eyebrow, which made Galinda giggle.

"Elphie, the effect is kind of ruined when you don't actually _have _eyebrows," she pointed out which made Elphaba laugh too.

"But seriously, have you considered getting a wig?"

"No," Elphaba replied and Galinda's face fell, although she tried to hide it.

"Oh. OK, it was just an idea..."

Elphaba supressed a smile, and reached under her bed and drew out a box.

"Kasmira gave me this before they left."

Galinda opened it cautiously, and then she beamed. "Oh, Elphie! It's a wig!" she exclaimed, obviously, drawing it out carefully as though she was afraid to mess it up.

"It's so close to your own hair!"

"I don't think it's as long as mine used to be," Elphaba pointed out.

"It's longer than it was before you cut it," Galinda responded. "Have you seen how it looks on?"

Elphaba shook her head and Galinda jumped forward eagerly.

"Here, let's see."

Elphaba sat still patiently as Galinda carefully removed the head scarf and replaced it with the wig. Elphaba was almost startled to see her reflection with hair once more, she was so used to seeing just the headscarf, or her bald skull. The black wig fell to her shoulder blades, and she could almost imagine it was her own hair. Almost.

"Why haven't you worn this yet?" Galinda asked her, sitting down beside her.

Elphaba shrugged. "I don't know... I wasn't sure how I felt about the idea. I'm still not sure. I mean, it does make me feel almost normal," she admitted. "But on the other hand, I'm very conscious that it's not my own hair, and that even though I may look as though I'm not sick, it doesn't change the fact that I am still sick. Wearing a wig doesn't fix that, and even if I want things to be normal, I don't want to hide that I'm sick and pretend otherwise. I'm not ashamed of losing my hair. I wasn't looking forward to losing it, but now that it's happened..."

Galinda smiled softly. "I'm really proud of you, Elphie. I think I would have worn a wig from the very beginning," she admitted.

Elphaba was slightly embarrassed, she didn't think anything she was doing was particularly brave or noble, she was just trying to get through this any way she knew how.

Slightly uncomfortable, she cleared her throat. "Alright, what were you saying about dresses?"

Galinda noted her friend's request for a subject change and happily changed the subject back to the dance and dresses, and how they could style Elphaba's wig for the dance. And it was music to Elphaba's ears.

**AN. A little in joke about the name of Fiyero's other castle. See, there is a place about 20 minutes from my home (not where I'm living now, but my actual home) called Kiama. So, every time I think of Kiamo Ko, I think of Kiama. So for Werillah Ev, I just took the name of another suburb near my home, Warilla. And then added the "Ev". **

**I just thought I'd share that with you all.**

**And you finally found out what Kasmira gave Elphaba.**


	28. Chapter 28

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. Happy birthday to my beautiful friend Liana AKA Wickedozgirl! I love you heaps and will see you in a few weeks! xx This isn't the BEST chapter to give you as a present, but... sorry. I didn't plan it. It just worked out that way.**

**And I'm also about to upload a one-shot entitled "Saviour" so look out for that!**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

The band coming to the _OzDust _from the Emerald City was, according to the most reliable sources of gossip on campus (i.e. Galinda), a band that had been playing all around the City for about two years in all the clubs and functions and were "finally" (in the words of those who lived in or near the City and had seen the band perform live before) being recognised in wider Oz.

"And they have the _cutest _drummer," Galinda told Elphaba and Nessa.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Galinda, you say that about _every _band. And it's _always _the drummer."

Galinda shrugged innocently. "I can't help it if the drummer is always the best-looking! Which is a shame, when they're always hidden at the back of the stage," she sighed.

Elphaba and Nessa shared an amused and exasperated look.

Frex was still in town, and with no plans to leave in the foreseeable future. He especially seemed determined to stay in town for Elphaba's upcoming tests. Elphaba wasn't sure exactly what he was doing every day, but he seemed to occupy himself well enough.

As per her agreement with the group, Elphaba was going back to the hospital on Wednesday to attend another meeting of the support group Michi ran. She wasn't really looking forward to it, but she did find she was slightly more relaxed about it this time, probably because she had warning about it and knew somewhat what to expect.

"Just be yourself," Galinda reassured Elphaba on Wednesday morning. "But not too much," she added quickly and Elphaba stared at her.

"Thanks, Glin," she said tiredly.

She hadn't slept well the night before, feeling incredibly achy and sore, but she was going to keep her word and attend.

Galinda was planning to go into town with Elphaba and shop while her friend was at the hospital. She had found her own dress for the dance, but was still searching for the 'perfect' dress for Elphaba. Elphaba just figured it was best to leave Galinda to her own devices, Galinda certainly knew fashion more than she did and Galinda also knew what she could convince Elphaba to wear in terms of colour and style.

"Good luck," Galinda told her, hugging her swiftly when they reached the hospital.

Elphaba waved and headed inside, making her way to the sunroom they had met last time. When she entered the room, she found that Shaira and Lilijana were already there, talking excitedly.

"Oh, Elphaba! Hi. Are you going to the dance at the _OzDust _this weekend?" Lilijana asked, looking up as she entered.

Elphaba slipped into an empty chair on the other side of the circle. "Yeah."

"I can't wait," Shaira beamed. "The band is great."

As the others trickled in, the dance wasn't the only hot topic going on in their lives. Zofia was just excited that this week saw the beginning of February, because it meant the end of winter. Hollei would turn seventeen in February so she shared the older girl's enthusiasm. And Derryl was rather subdued, as he was undergoing more tests.

Here, Elphaba could sympathise.

"I've got mine next week," she said quietly.

"Are you nervous?" Hollei asked.

Elphaba paused. "Should I be?"

"I'm always nervous about the results more than the actual tests," Zofia chimed in.

That was the main topic of conversation that hour. Their experiences with the tests and how they felt about them. Elphaba admitted her complete fear of needles, and Zofia confessed she was the same.

"I don't even really feel them anymore," Derryl shrugged. "I mean, they're not _fun, _but they don't even really bother me anymore."

"Lucky," Shaira muttered.

Michi was more interested in the dance, but for different reasons that the other girls.

"So, those of you going to the dance... how do you feel about it?"

"I'm really excited," Shaira said. "It's taken my mind off everything, just being able to focus on what to wear and little things like that."

Lilijana was only slightly less enthusiastic. "I'm looking forward to seeing the band. Although I'm finding it hard to find something to wear. I mean... most dress salons don't really aim for cancer patients with no hair, do they? I've looked at a few dresses but all I see when I look in the mirror is everything that the cancer has taken away. It's hard to feel beautiful when you look and feel the way you do."

"My sister got married last month and I had the same problem- worse because it was black tie," Zofia offered. "But she made it special for me. I was going to be a bridesmaid for her until I got sick, so she made me an honorary bridesmaid and instead of a bridesmaid gift, she bought me a wig to wear. And it was really fun trying them on and it really did make me feel beautiful and special, and normal... just for a night."

"Did you go like your original hair colour?" Hollei asked curiously.

"Actually no. I was originally a blonde, but we got this really awesome auburn wig. Just for something different, and so it wasn't like I was being reminded of how I used to look... does that make sense?"

"I have a wig," Elphaba offered quietly. "Er... My b-" she started to refer to Fiyero as 'her boyfriend' but then figured everyone knew who she meant.

"Fiyero's mother gave it to me. It's the same colour as my hair was, but shorter." A faint smile crossed her face.

"My best friend said it's probably just as well, because I couldn't carry off any other colour," she chuckled.

Galinda had indeed said that to her as they practiced fitting and styling the wig on Elphaba's head.

"I think it's the green," she shrugged as the others smiled.

Lilijana crinkled her nose. "Yeah, you'd look horrendible as a blonde," she said and then pressed her hand over her mouth with a gasp.

"Sorry," she apologised.

Elphaba wasn't offended. Of everything she'd ever heard said about herself and her appearance, the fact she couldn't pull off blonde hair hardly rated high on the list.

"It's ok."

When Michi dismissed them all, Elphaba said goodbye and met Galinda in the lobby, who was clutching bags.

"Wasn't I only gone for an hour?" Elphaba asked in amazement, gaping at how many bags her friend was holding.

Galinda giggled. "Elphie, please."

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"How did it go?"Galinda asked eagerly.

Elphaba shrugged lightly. "Yeah, fine. Better than last time," she admitted.

Galinda smiled, but didn't say anything. "Well, I have _wonderful _news! I found the best dress for you!"

"Oh good, I was worried," Elphaba said dryly.

Galinda ignored her sarcasm. "I'll show you when we get back to our room."

Elphaba was sure her lack of enthusiasm and interest was annoying Galinda, which she only found slight amusement in as they headed back to school. As soon as they reached their room, Galinda dumped her bags on her bed and dived into them to draw out her purchases.

"OK, here we go. Let me know what you think, although I _know _you're going to love it. Now, I didn't want to go _too _dressy, because obviously this isn't a formal occasion; but at the same time, I wanted to get you something that you could dress up if for instance, you and Fiyero go out for Valentine's Day."

Elphaba was startled. "Valentine's Day? Glin, that's ages away. It's not even February yet," she insisted.

"It is as of Friday," Galinda pointed out.

"And besides, I don't know if we're going to do anything for Valentine's Day," Elphaba continued as though she hadn't been interrupted.

Galinda scoffed. "Please. You will. Ah, here we go."

From a bag, she pulled out a simple silver knee-length dress with short sleeves and a simple round neck. There was lace covering the bodice, but the lining underneath was strapless. It was modest yet elegant, and Elphaba was pleasantly surprised.

"Wow. Glin... that's really nice," she said admiringly.

Galinda beamed in pleasure. "I'm so glad you like it! Do you want to see mine?"

Elphaba knew her friend well enough to know Galinda would be showing her anyway.

"Sure," she agreed.

Galinda's dress was not pink, as Elphaba had half-expected, it was an ice blue covered with sequins and had thin straps that crossed over at the back.

"It's sparkly," Elphaba offered.

Galinda giggled. "It is, isn't it? That's why I love it."

Elphaba smiled and then stood up. "I'm going to go have a bath."

Galinda's face immediately creased into worry. "Are you okay?"

Elphaba waved her away. "Yeah, I'm just tired. You know how it is."

Galinda accepted that and nodded as Elphaba disappeared into the bathroom; but as soon as Elphaba closed the door behind her, she sank on to the edge of the bath wearily. She was tired, but it felt more draining than usual. She couldn't explain how, but she was hoping the bath would help. It felt more like the flu than the usual aches and pains she sometimes felt after the potions and she hoped she wasn't actually getting the flu. Because that would be bad.

The bath did help, which convinced her it was just simple side effects of the potions as usual. As the day of the dance approached, she still didn't feel a hundred per cent, but not sick enough to forfeit going to the dance- and Elphaba alternated between feeling whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. It was nothing really, just a little short of breath at times, and sometimes a slight ache in her chest. She debated whether to go see the nurse about it- one side of her insisted it was nothing worth worrying about, but the other side of her pointed out the last time she had thought it was nothing worth worrying about, she ended up being diagnosed with cancer.

Finally, on Friday she caved and mentioned it to Fiyero. He was concerned, but didn't think it was anything to be concerned about.

"You're probably just pushing yourself too much," he cautioned her. "Relax, Fae. Take it easy."

Elphaba smiled slightly. "You're probably right," she admitted. "I've felt pretty good after this cycle... I guess I'm over compensating a little."

He drew her close to him and kissed the top of her head. He was still not used to the sensation of her scarves or hats beneath his lips rather than her hair, although he tried to never let on to Elphaba that he noticed any difference at all. The only thing he hadn't seen was her head without anything on it at all. Since losing her hair, she had never let him see her bald scalp, which he respected.

"Just slow down, and don't push yourself to do too much," he pleaded with her softly, his eyes full of concern.

"I will," Elphaba promised.

Elphaba was not impressed when she was rudely and abruptly awoken at eight o'clock on Saturday morning, the day of the dance, by Galinda playing the record of the band they were seeing that night.

"Ugh, _Galinda!" _she exclaimed tiredly, leaning up on her elbow. "_Why _are you _up?! _You are _never _up this early on a Saturday, unless there's a shoe sale or something!"

Galinda sheepishly turned the music down. "Sorry," she apologised. "I didn't think it was that loud. I just woke up and I'm so excited about tonight and I had this song stuck in my head..."

Elphaba groaned, and rolled over, burying her head under her pillow.

"Glin, I feel horrendible and didn't get to sleep until like three am. Can you _please _just turn the music off?!"

Galinda winced as she obeyed. "Sorry, Elphie. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just.. achy still. I threw up about two and then managed to doze off eventually," Elphaba sighed, reluctantly moving the pillow away to look blearily at her friend and giving up on going back to sleep.

"You threw up?" Galinda asked sharply.

"Just once, I'm fine," Elphaba reassured her. "Can I just try and get a little more sleep?"

"Sure!" Galinda agreed quickly. "I'll go get some breakfast. Do you want anything?"

Elphaba shook her head. "No, thanks."

Galinda left Elphaba to try and get some more sleep and headed towards town, planning to go to _The Wilted Rose _for breakfast instead of the cafeteria. She decided to stop by and invite Nessa, figuring if any of their friends would be up already, it would be Nessa.

"Where's Fabala?" Nessa asked after greeting Galinda.

"She's still in bed, she didn't sleep well last night," Galinda explained. "I thought I'd go get some breakfast at _The Wilted Rose. _Do you want to come?"

Nessa beamed, thrilled by the invitation. "I'd love to! I was just thinking breakfast would be great."

A few minutes later, the two girls headed off.

"How's your father doing?" Galinda asked Nessa. "I mean, what does he even do all the time?"

"He does a lot of paperwork," Nessa replied. "The officials send him as much work as they can. And he's been networking with officials from the Emerald City. And of course, he spends time with me... and Elphaba."

Galinda knew Elphaba and Frex hadn't spent a lot of time together since he'd been back; she suspected neither of them were terribly comfortable with one another yet.

"I am _so _excited for tonight," Galinda said happily, changing the subject once they'd reached _The Wilted Rose _and ordered. "It feels like forever since we've been able to festivate."

"We haven't had much to festivate lately," Nessa agreed sadly.

"I know. But I feel really good about Elphie's tests," Galinda said confidently. "I bet they'll have good results and we'll be able to festivate that!"

Nessa smiled. "I hope so. You said Elphaba didn't sleep well. Is she okay? Will she still be up for coming out tonight?"

"I think so," Galinda nodded. "Once she gets a bit more sleep, I'm sure she'll be fine."

"I still can't get over how much she sleeps now," Nessarose said, shaking her head slightly. "Elphaba never used to sleep in, she was always up at the crack of dawn, for as long as I can remember."

"I don't think Elphie likes it either. You know, Elphie, she'd much rather put every possible minute of her time to good use," Galinda rolled her eyes fondly.

"I know it's not usually her thing, but I think she'll enjoy tonight."

"I think we all will. I think we just need other stuff to focus on, take our minds off everything and feel normal again," Galinda said wisely.

Nessa fully agreed.

Elphaba did appear much better after a few more hours sleep, and she even let Galinda play her records again when her friend returned to the room. Galinda was actually putting more effort into Elphaba's appearance for the OzDust that night than her own, knowing how important and hard it was going to be for her best friend to step into that room.

"Do you know what this kind of reminds me of?" Galinda asked her as they were getting ready and Galinda was fixing on Elphaba's wig.

"What?" Elphaba frowned. She could think of nothing that this situation reminded her of.

"Your first night at the OzDust. When you came in wearing that _hideoteous_ hat," Galinda stressed, making a face.

Elphaba laughed, she was rather fond of that hat. "How in Oz's name does this remind you of that?"

Galinda smiled. "Because that night, you came into that room and everyone was staring, and pointing, and laughing. And you held your head up high, and just danced. I know it upset you, but you pretended not to care. I know that it's going to be hard going in there tonight, wearing the wig and pretending like everything's okay. And I know that people will probably stare and point. But you're going to ignore them."

Elphaba smiled softly, hugging the blonde tightly. "Thanks, Glin."

Elphaba didn't protest about Galinda fussing over her dress or her hair, and she only hesitated briefly when Galinda turned from the vanity waving her makeup bag aloft.

"Just a _little," _she stressed.

"Just enough to make you sparkle," Galinda promised.

"That had better not be a hint anything with glitter is involved," Elphaba muttered under her breath, which Galinda ignored.

Thankfully, in Elphaba's mind anyway, nothing with glitter or sparkles emerged from the depths of Galinda's makeup bag. And when Galinda proudly stepped back and allowed Elphaba to see the finished product, Elphaba was amazed. She looked- and there was no other way she could think to describe it- healthy. Her skin shone and her eyes popped and complete with wig, she looked healthier than she had in a long time. Just really, really thin.

"Wow. Glin..."

"You're welcome," Galinda beamed.

It only occurred to Elphaba as she waited for Galinda to finish her own preparations, that perhaps she should have practiced wearing the wig more beforehand, just to get used to the feel of it on her head. Galinda had styled it simply, leaving it down and loose with a few locks on either side pulled back and secured with a clip. But Elphaba was surprised by how foreign it felt to feel hair around her shoulders again.

Fiyero arrived at the room to meet them just as Galinda was finishing accessorising. When she opened the door, and he stepped in and laid eyes on Elphaba, a soft smile spread over his face.

"You look beautiful," he told her sincerely. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine," Elphaba assured him.

"OK, let's go," Galinda pushed, ushering them out of the room. "I want to meet my future husband."

Elphaba and Fiyero both stared at her blankly.

"The drummer," she explained and Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"You have a habit of announcing your engagements a bit prematurely," Elphaba said dryly, and Galinda made a face at her, while Fiyero still looked clueless.

"What?"

"Never mind," Elphaba chuckled slightly. "Let's go."

Elphaba begged them to be able to walk into town, and although Fiyero and Galinda were slightly sceptical, and as ever, wary of Elphaba's health and energy; but they (mostly Fiyero) eventually gave in and agreed.

It was a nice night, you could almost feel the approaching spring. There were plenty of people heading towards the OzDust, and they could tell it was going to be crowded.

"If no one outside of the Emerald City knows this band, how does it feel like everyone in town is going to see them?" Elphaba demanded.

"Word of mouth," Galinda shrugged. "Curiosity. People like music."

There seemed to be the majority of campus in the OzDust that night, in addition to many of the townspeople, and people from the Emerald City who seemed to have come simply to support the band.

The good thing was that because there was so many people there, Elphaba seemed to attract less attention than she was expecting. There were people who stared, but it seemed to be more the usual stares related to her skin than anything else, and that helped her to relax. She couldn't deny she'd felt incredibly tense as they approached the OzDust.

They found an empty table in a corner, and Fiyero went to get them drinks as they waited for Nessa and Boq to find them.

"How are you feeling, Elphie?" Galinda asked.

"Fine," Elphaba replied automatically, although she felt a little short of breath again, but she figured that was from the walk.

The band made their grand entrance as the crowd- mostly girls- erupted into excited screams. The band began playing their first set for the evening, and Elphaba was happy just to sit back in their back table and listen and watch the crowd. Galinda had disappeared in her efforts to get as close to the front of the stage- and her future husband- as possible, and Nessa and Boq were somewhere in the crowd. Fiyero was right beside Elphaba, as per usual.

"They aren't bad," Elphaba commented to Fiyero. "I mean, I don't get all the screaming and swooning, but... I didn't get it over you either."

Fiyero frowned uncertainly. "Um... I feel like I should be offended here."

Elphaba smirked but said nothing. "The music's pretty good. And they can play live, which is a good thing."

"Yeah, I've seen heaps of bands that can't play live," Fiyero agreed.

After a few songs, Galinda squeezed her way back through the crowd, and collapsed into an empty seat, panting and immediately grabbing for and drowning Elphaba's glass of water that was on the table.

"Hey!" Elphaba protested.

"Sorry, Elphie. My throat is _so _dry," Galinda apologised, sounding rather hoarse.

"That would be from all the screaming," Fiyero pointed out.

Galinda waved a dismissive hand and disappeared back in amongst the crowd, leaving Elphaba and Fiyero exchanging exasperated looks.

"I'll go get you another drink," Fiyero offered. "Water again?"

"Can you see if they have any juice?" Elphaba asked.

He kissed her temple. "Sure."

Elphaba watched him head towards the bar, and looked around the room trying to find the others. She couldn't see Galinda or Boq, but she saw Nessa talking to a boy, her whole face alight.

Elphaba didn't recognise the boy, but it was nice to see her sister enjoying herself. With a slight smile, she leaned against the back of the chair and sighed.

She was feeling a little odd, but wasn't sure if it was anything unusual or not. It was more the common drained feeling she was used to, but she was still feeling slightly out of breath.

"Here you go, Fae. Apple mango juice" Fiyero said, handing her the glass as he reappeared.

"Thanks," she accepted with a smile. "Do you know who that guy is that Nessa's talking to?"

Fiyero craned his neck to look. "Er, I think he's a third year. That's all I've got."

They sat there enjoying the music and watching Nessa talk with the mysterious boy, trying to depict by his body language what his interest in Nessa was.

The band launched into another song, a soulful ballad which Elphaba recognised only because it was one of Galinda's favourites that she played constantly.

"Do you want to dance?" Fiyero asked Elphaba suddenly, and she turned to him in surprise.

"What?"

"Dance. Out there. You and me."

Elphaba hesitated. "Yero... I don't really dance. You _know _that."

"Come on, Fae. _One _dance. It's slow," he begged.

She glanced out at the dance floor carefully, looking at all the people crowding the floor debating it. She wasn't sure if she was up for it, but then back at Fiyero's pleading face.

"Ok, one dance," she agreed, taking his offered hand.

He beamed and led her out to the floor, where he slid an arm around her waist and drew her close. Elphaba rested her chin on his shoulder, and forced herself to relax as Fiyero led them. They didn't speak, just slowly rotated on the spot and Elphaba closed her eyes as she listened to the lyrics of the song.

_You're my peace of mind in this crazy world.  
You're everything I've tried to find, your love is a pearl.  
You're my Mona Lisa, you're my rainbow skies,  
and my only prayer is that you realize  
you'll always be beautiful in my eyes._

_The world will turn and the seasons will change,_  
_and all the lessons we will learn will be beautiful and strange._  
_We'll have our fill of tears, our share of sighs._  
_And my only prayer is that you realize_  
_you'll always be beautiful in my eyes._

_You will always be beautiful in my eyes._  
_And the passing years will show_  
_that you will always grow ever more beautiful in my eyes._

Halfway through the song, Elphaba began to feel slightly dizzy and she became aware of a faint pain in her chest which immediately told her that this was not a good sign.

"Yero?"

"Mmm?" he murmured in her ear.

"I- I don't feel well."

Fiyero stopped in his tracks, pulling back to look at her. And when he saw her face, he didn't hesitate.

"Right. We're going to the hospital, come on."

Elphaba didn't protest, just let him lead her back to the table and sit her down. They passed Boq along the way, and Fiyero grabbed the Munchkin's arm, much to his alarm.

He eased Elphaba into a chair and turned to Boq. "I'm going to get our coats and get a carriage. Do _not _leave her side," he ordered fiercely and then hurried away.

"Elphaba, what's going on?" Boq asked worriedly, not liking the look on her face.

"It... it feels a little hard to breathe," she said faintly. "And my chest hurts."

Boq didn't know what to say to that, so he just took her hand.

"It's going to be okay," he told her, trying to sound confident.

He failed, but they both pretended otherwise.

Fiyero was back as fast as he could and he helped Elphaba on with her coat, and began to lead her out to the carriage, still hastily rattling off instructions to Boq.

"Find Nessa and Galinda and meet us there. There's a carriage out there waiting for you. You might want to stop off and get the Governor on the way- just in case."

"No-" Elphaba protested faintly, but her protests were ignored.

"I don't... w-want to worry them," she said softly as they made it out of the _OzDust _and he helped her into the carriage.

"Fae, they'll want to know," Fiyero argued.

"But my father-"

"Should know if something's wrong. Let's go."

Under Fiyero's orders, the carriage sped towards the hospital as Fiyero held her close to him. The way her breathing was shallow and laboured made him anxious, and he was kicking himself for not noticing anything earlier. She was growing paler by the second, and she was very quiet, her fingers entwined tightly in his.

"You're going to be ok. Everything's going to be fine," he whispered in her ear.

When they reached the hospital, Fiyero helped her out and into the hospital, where he flagged down the first nurse he saw.

"Excuse me, my girlfriend- she's having trouble breathing."

The nurse was immediately on alert.

"Alright, Miss-"

"Thropp, Elphaba Thropp," Fiyero said quickly.

"Miss Elphaba, what's happened?"

"She's got Hodgkin's Lymphoma," Fiyero told her brusquely. "She's been feeling short of breath lately."

"Anything else?"

"M-my chest hurts," Elphaba added weakly as she was assisted into a wheelchair, and another nurse began taking her pulse.

The first nurse looked up at Fiyero. "Who's her doctor?"

"Dr Crowe. Is he here? Can you get him?"

"The first thing we're going to do is take care of Elphaba and get her breathing right. Then we'll contact Dr Crowe. Alright?" she reassured him gently.

Fiyero nodded, swallowing hard and not taking his eyes off Elphaba.

"Ok, sure. Just... just help her, please?"

"We will. We're going to take her through now and get her some oxygen now. If you'll just wait in the waiting room-"

"No!" Elphaba interjected breathlessly. "Please, can't he stay?"

The nurse looked to Fiyero. "You're not family, are you?"

"I'm her boyfriend. Fiyero Tiggular," Fiyero introduced himself, shamelessly playing the prince card. He didn't want to let Elphaba out of his sight.

And the nurse didn't miss a beat. "Of course. If you'll follow us."

Fiyero followed obediently, just hoping everything was going to be okay.

**AN. Also, the song that they dance to in this chapter is Joshua Kadison's "Beautiful in my eyes."**

**And before I forget, heatqueen has written a one-shot companion piece to this story entitled "Galinda's Nightmare" as a tribute to Elphaba's hair. Because... she could. So, yeah. Check it out!**


	29. Chapter 29

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. Sorry this chapter is a bit later than usual. I'm throwing a murder mystery party for my drama class in a few weeks so I had to get to school early to do a few things for that, which meant I didn't have time to update before I left.**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

"Fiyero! How is she?"

"Is Elphie okay?"

"Can she breathe?"

The anxious exclamations of Nessa, Galinda and Boq bombarded Fiyero the moment he entered the waiting room an hour after he and Elphaba had first entered the hospital. But Frex's simply demand of,

"What happened?" was the one that Fiyero addressed.

"She had fluid in her lungs," he replied wearily.

Nessa's eyes were red-rimmed as she frowned at him. "Fluid? I don't understand? How does that happen?"

Fiyero sat heavily into the chair next to her, feeling utterly exhausted.

"They did tests. Chest x-ray and things. They put her on oxygen and drained the fluid from the lungs-"

"How do they do that?" Boq asked, suspecting he knew the answer and it wasn't good.

"A needle," Fiyero confirmed. "Well, it's hard to explain, but essentially, it's a needle."

He pulled back his sleeve to show them the bruises forming around his wrist from Elphaba's grip.

"They're testing the sample to see what caused it. Dr Crowe said it could mean a few things."

"Like what? Bad things?" Galinda demanded.

Fiyero swallowed. "It could mean there's a- a mass in her chest. Or it could be a sign of infection or pneumonia. We're still waiting on the results."

"Is she awake? Can we see her?" Nessa asked faintly.

"She's pretty groggy, but you can see her," Fiyero nodded. He looked at Frex. "I think Dr Crowe wants to speak to you."

Frex nodded wordlessly.

"Has she been admitted?" Boq asked Fiyero, who nodded.

"Overnight at least."

He led them to Elphaba's room, and Nessa froze, staring at the sight of her sister. Elphaba was lying on her side with her eyes closed, with a nasal cannula under her nose, and her head was bald. They had taken her wig off once she had been admitted, and naturally there had been no scarf to put on to cover her head. Elphaba always was so careful to keep her head covered since losing her hair, until now Galinda was the only one of them to ever see Elphaba's bald scalp.

And Fiyero understood how confronted Nessa felt. When he had seen it, he had felt like he'd been punched in the stomach, he had been so shocked. He laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her through the doorway. Looking up at him hesitantly, Nessa approached the bed.

"Fabala?" she called gently, taking her sister's hand.

They all waited, watching closely. Fiyero wasn't sure whether Elphaba might have fallen asleep or not, but after a moment Elphaba's eyelids flickered open and she gazed groggily at her sister.

Fiyero watched as her eyes focused on Nessa, and then slowly travelled over the rest of them, Galinda, Boq, her father and then Fiyero before returning to Nessa's worried face.

"Hi," she murmured.

"How are you feeling?" Nessa asked gently.

"Fine. I'm sorry... I wrecked your night. How was... the band?"

Nessa chuckled. "It was fine."

"Who was... the guy?"

Nessa blushed as all eyes in the room turned to her.

"Never mind that," she said quickly. "You should rest."

Elphaba gave a faint nod and her eyes closed again.

"What guy is she talking about?" Galinda asked Nessa immediately as they left the room.

Nessa ignored her.

When Dr Crowe finally found them, he had the results of the fluid sample and Elphaba's chest x ray. He spoke to Frex privately first, leaving the rest of them trying to eavesdrop and interpret their body language to see if it was good news or bad news.

"What's the verdict, doc?" Fiyero asked.

"There's no sign of cancer in her lungs or chest," Dr Crowe told them, and Fiyero felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from him.

The others looked equally as relieved.

"And there appears to be no infection either."

"So, where did the fluid come from?" Nessa demanded worriedly.

"The fluid was actually around her lungs, not in them. And Hodgkin's can sometimes cause a build up of fluid. We're going to keep an eye on it, but she should be fine now that we've drained the fluid."

"OK, well what happens now?" Fiyero asked.

"We're going to keep her here for another day or two to observe her, and we've moved up her tests to do them while she's here," Dr Crowe explained.

"For now, I suggest you all go back to school and get some rest. Elphaba will more than likely sleep until morning."

Fiyero was reluctant to leave her, but he knew there was logically no point to them hanging around the hospital all night.

Frex bent down and addressed Nessa. "Go get some rest, Nessa," he told his youngest daughter gently. "I'm going to stay with your sister for a while, and you can come back in the morning."

Nessa smiled and hugged her father. "Alright, Father. If Elphaba wakes up, tell her we'll bring a few things for her when we come back in the morning. Do you want anything?"

"I'm fine," he assured her. "I'll see you in the morning."

"It's really good that he's staying," Boq commented as they were leaving the hospital. "Isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Galinda said encouragingly. "I mean, I think it's a good sign that he does care about Elphie."

"I'm just glad she's okay," Nessa said quietly.

"I can definishly agree with that," Fiyero agreed.

They hailed a carriage outside the hospital and climbed in. Once they were on the way to school, Galinda turned to Nessa in interest.

"So, who was the guy Elphie was talking about?"

Now that they knew Elphaba was ok, Galinda wouldn't let Nessa avoid the subject, but even under Galinda's most severe interrogation, all Nessa would reveal was that his name was Kai and they had met at the _OzDust _that night when he had accidentally almost tripped over her chair.

"Is he cute?" Was Galinda's follow up question, and Nessa rolled her eyes.

"Galinda, is that all that's important? Especially with everything else going on?"

Galinda met her gaze in interest. "You really are like your sister sometimes, you know that?"

Fiyero laughed for the first time in over an hour.

The next morning, they returned to the hospital as soon as visiting hours commenced, complete with a bag that Nessa and Galinda had carefully packed for Elphaba. When they entered her hospital room, she was lying in bed gazing out the window. Her face had more colour in it (pardon the pun), Fiyero was pleased to see and she now had a woollen knit cap covering her head.

Fiyero entered the room first. "Hey."

Elphaba's head turned, and she smiled softly. "Hey."

He bent down and kissed her softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Better,"

"We brought you a bag," Galinda offered quietly, holding it up.

"Thanks, Glin."

Nessa wheeled herself as close to the bed as she could get. "Are you okay? Where's Father?"

"I'm okay, Nessie. I'm sorry for scaring you," she apologised.

Nessa shook her head with a teary smile. "No... I'm just glad you're okay."

"Father was here when I woke up, but he's gone back to his rooms," Elphaba answered her sister's other question.

Elphaba had been slightly startled to wake up and find her father sleeping uncomfortably in a chair in the corner of her hospital room. But when Frex had awoken, he had been strangely calm and acting as though it was nothing unusual.

"I think you two are making progress," Fiyero said to her with a smile, and Elphaba chuckled slightly.

"Seems that way, doesn't it?"

Truthfully, Elphaba wasn't sure what to think. Frex seemed to be acting under the principle of "actions speak louder than words" but all the silence was very unnerving, and Elphaba was beginning to wish that he would just say _something_. If she had any clue what to say, she'd do it herself.

Galinda perched herself on the end of the bed, with a soft smile.

"You're really okay?"

Elphaba nodded. "I'm fine. I really didn't mean to scare you all. I just assumed... I felt a bit short of breath at times but I didn't think it was anything. I mean... me being tired and unfit isn't anything strange these days."

"Has Dr Crowe said how long you'll have to be in here?" Boq asked her.

"They're going to keep me in here while they do all the tests," she replied. "And they want to do more tests on my lungs and... a whole bunch of other stuff."

"Is there anything else you need?" Fiyero asked her.

"Real food?" Elphaba replied immediately. She gestured to the tray that was next to the bed.

"This stuff is horrendible, and that's saying something for me lately."

Fiyero laughed. "No worries. I'll take care of it," he promised her.

The group's other concern, although they didn't say that to Elphaba, was entertainment. Elphaba got bored at the best of times, but when she was stuck in a hospital with nothing to do but undergo tests and wait for results... well, they wanted to keep her as calm and distracted as possible. Fiyero was also worried about her falling into depression, which they all knew was common for cancer patients.

Keeping her entertained, for Elphaba, meant delivering her school work, and keeping her company as much as they could in between classes. Elphaba was bored, but in good spirits. She was feeling much better since the fluid had been drained from her lungs, and all the tests so far were coming back negative.

The worst for Elphaba was the bone marrow biopsy. Of every test or procedure she'd ever had done, the bone marrow biopsy was the one she dreaded most- except maybe when they had drained the fluid from her lungs. At least with the bone marrow biopsy, she was sedated.

She was spending a lot of time getting to know the other patients in the ward, all of whom were cancer patients. And it was a sobering sight. Most of them were older than herself, and a few of them were in the very most advanced stages of their respective cancers. News of the green girl had apparently spread through the hospital, and Elphaba had been stunned and bemused when two middle-aged women had showed up at her door one morning, and asked her to come and see the elderly and bed-ridden man in the room across the hall to prove to him that it was true- she really was green.

Elphaba had been stunned, but agreed. She didn't think she could refuse the request of a dying man, and when she had gone and introduced herself, his shocked reply of,

"Well, now I've seen everything," had made her smile, despite everything.

The other thing she had seen was all the children fighting cancer, and the sight broke Elphaba's heart.

Being admitted also meant that she was in hospital for the administration of her fourth cycle of potions, just after her final test.

The day after, they were all sprawled around Elphaba's hospital room. Fiyero and Boq were playing cards; and Elphaba was listening as Galinda excitedly told her everything she'd found out about the boy Nessa had been talking to during the dance, much to Nessa's embarrassment.

"His name's Kai and he's a third year student from the Glikkus majoring in Literature. The rumours say he's mostly likely to be named valedictorian of this year's graduating class; and he's only dated a few girls before. He seems to be a pretty serious student. And he's _really _cute."

"Well, that's the important thing," Elphaba said dryly. She was feeling relatively well after the last potions session, so she was in great spirits.

Fiyero looked up from his hand of cards, raising an eyebrow. "Since when is this the kind of conversation you get involved with Fae?"

"Since it involves my sister," Elphaba retorted and Fiyero couldn't protest that.

She turned back to Nessa. "So, are you two dating? What is this exactly?"

Nessa was mortified. "We just talked! For one night!"

Elphaba's eyes narrowed suspiciously, suspecting there was more than Nessa was saying. "And?"

"And... he invited me out for coffee tomorrow," Nessa admitted.

Galinda gasped excitedly. "Really? Nessa, that's thrillifying! You're going, right?"

"I said I would," she replied, blushing.

Elphaba was slightly wary. "You like him? He's a nice guy?"

"He's very sweet, Fabala," Nessa reassured her.

"Can we change the subject, please?" Fiyero asked.

"Well, why don't you deal us in?" Elphaba suggested.

Galinda and Nessa refused to play poker, but Fiyero and Boq refused to play Go Fish; so they decided upon what was turning out to be a vigorous game of "Bullspit." The object of the game is to get rid of all your cards. All the cards are dealt and players are allowed to view their own cards. The first player lays cards down on the table, claiming to have certain cards, for example, "three kings". At any time if one player thinks another is lying, the suspicious player declares "Bullspit" and the other player must display the cards he just discarded. If he was lying the lying player collects the discard pile, if not, the suspicious player collects the discard pile.

"You know, we know this game by a different name in the Vinkus," Fiyero commented.

"Yes, I know exactly what name that is," Elphaba countered, not looking up.

Much to the others dismay, Elphaba was proving to be the undisputable champion at the game, being able to tell immediately when one of the others was lying- especially Nessa, but that was perhaps because her sister was just so bad at lying.

She had just won her fourth game in a row, when the door opened and Dr Crowe entered.

When Elphaba saw him, the blood drained from her face. Seeing that, Fiyero straightened up in alarm.

"What's going on?"

"I know that look," she whispered into the suddenly deadly silent room.

Dr Crowe smiled sadly as he stood at the foot of her bed solemnly.

"Elphaba, your CT scan has revealed a mass on your spleen," he told her gently.

Elphaba forced a smile. "That's bad, right?"

Dr Crowe echoed her smile. "Yes. Now, the good thing is we seem to have caught it early. There appears to be only slight enlargement of the spleen."

"What happens now?" Fiyero asked quickly. "A biopsy?"

Dr Crowe shook his head. "No. No biopsy, we're just going to remove the spleen."

Elphaba's eyes widened. "Surgery?" she asked faintly.

"Wait, doesn't she need her spleen?" Boq frowned.

"No, the human body is quite able to function without a spleen," the doctor reassured them.

Elphaba dropped her hand of cards to the bed, the game forgotten as her hand went limp. "When?"

"I'm scheduling the operation for tomorrow," he replied gently. "Ten-thirty."

Elphaba nodded silently, drawing her legs up to her chest without even realising it. Fiyero slipped his hand into hers, squeezing her fingers tightly.

"What- what happens after?" she managed to ask.

"We'll give you a general anaesthetic for the operation. Once we remove the spleen, we'll examine it. The good thing is that the area around the spleen appears to be cancer free, but we'll remove a sample of the lymph nodes near your stomach just to check. You'll still be admitted for a day or two afterwards, provided there's no complications and the incision should heal after four to six weeks. Do you have any questions?"

"Is the surgery dangerous?" Nessa asked in a small voice.

"Every surgery has risks," Dr Crowe acknowledged. "With this surgery, possible complications are things such as blood clot, collapsed lung, a hernia at the surgical cut site, injury to nearby organs, or pus collection under the diaphragm. Also, there's an increased risk of infection after any surgery, but particularly for those without a spleen."

"Wait," Fiyero interjected, his voice odd. "Let me get this straight. People without a spleen are more open to infection. And you readily destroy her immune system every fortnight to try and kill this cancer, which _obviously _isn't working if you have to _remove _an organ because there's cancer in it, where there wasn't two months ago. And now this surgery? What in Oz's name-"

"Yero," Elphaba cut him off, tightening her grip on his hand.

Fiyero looked at her for a long moment, and then cleared his throat.

"Sorry, doc," he apologised quietly.

"That's perfectly all right," the doctor replied in understanding. "I honestly don't expect any complications, but it's my duty to inform you. Now, I'll be back shortly to talk you through the specifics of the surgery and explain it all in more detail, ok?"

Elphaba nodded and bidding them farewell, Dr Crowe left the room silently.

The room was dead silent. Finally, Elphaba spoke.

"Um... do you think... could someone go find my father? He... he should probably know about this."

"I'll go," Boq volunteered immediately. This was something useful he could do, something to help. Because there was nothing else he could think of.

He jumped to his feet, turned to leave and then hesitated, turning back.

"Elp-"

"I know," she cut him off, before he could finish. Because she knew what he was going to say.

Boq nodded, and then left.

Elphaba looked at Galinda, Nessa and Fiyero. In that moment, she knew she had made the right decision not having them with her when she had been initially diagnosed.

"It's going to be okay," she choked out. Her voice cracked as she said it, but she tried to sound confident.

Nessa immediately broke down in tears, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed.

"Nessa-"

Galinda got to Nessa before Elphaba could get out of bed and to her sister's side; and the blonde immediately wrapped Nessa in a tight hug.

Elphaba slowly slid out of the bed, and bent down beside Nessa's chair.

"Nessa?"

"You promised me you'd be okay," Nessa wept from within Galinda's embrace.

Elphaba didn't know what to say to that. Galinda looked up, and Elphaba saw that her best friend was crying too, even as she tried to comfort Nessa. Elphaba just stayed frozen, crouched on the floor beside the wheelchair, trying to think of something to say. Her mind was a complete blank, and she felt nauseous. She couldn't even move.

Warm arms slid around her waist and gently helped her to her feet. Elphaba leaned back against Fiyero's chest, grasping his arms that were anchoring her and keeping her upright. At this moment, she felt like that was the only thing keeping her off the floor.

He kissed the top of her head, then her temple, her cheek and her neck before burying his face in the crook of her neck and inhaling deeply. Elphaba was grateful she couldn't see his face right now, if he was crying, she didn't want to know. Not right now.

When Boq and Frex entered the room some minutes later, the room was still silent. Everyone's tears had run out, at least for now. Elphaba was sitting on Fiyero's lap, one hand entwined with Nessa's, the other with Galinda's.

"Father!" Nessa exclaimed, and Frex went to embrace her immediately.

He straightened up and looked down at Elphaba, still sitting on Fiyero's lap. He reached out a hand and then paused, awkwardly dropping his hand onto her shoulder and resting it there for a moment.

"Where's Dr Crowe?" he asked finally.

"I'm not sure," Elphaba responded. "But he said he'll be back to explain the surgery in detail."

"Hmm. I'll go track him down," Frex said curtly and then disappeared from the room.

Boq took a seat on the bed, facing the others. "He was pretty shook up when I told him what was happening," he told them quietly.

"He went really quiet. I don't think he said a word the whole way here."

"There's not much to say," Elphaba replied quietly. "Thanks for going to tell him, Boq."

Boq shrugged. "At least I could do something."

Silence fell again amongst them, because they all knew that Boq had a point. There was nothing they could do.

**AN. OK, there is a story behind the Bullspit game. The actual name is Bullshit, as I'm sure anyone who's played the game or seen _How to lose a guy in 10 days _will know. That movie was one of the options to watch on the plane when I went to Singapore last year to see _Wicked; _but because they edit the movies to make them suitable for everyone, they dubbed Bullshit, with Bullspit. Which was _hilarious _to watch. **


	30. Chapter 30

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. So, thanks to PocketSevens for writing down EVERYTHING bad (even the little bad things) I've ever done to Elphaba in a fic. It looks really, really bad when you put it in a list like that. Although I don't know if her breaking Fiyero's nose was that bad, LOL.**

**Chapter Thirty**

"OK, so we'll see you in the morning."

Elphaba sighed. "You don't have to-"

Fiyero placed a hand over her lips. "That wasn't a question, Fae. It was a statement," he said firmly.

"So, we'll see you in the morning."

Elphaba rolled her eyes and nodded. "OK."

He bent down and kissed her softly. "Try and get some sleep."

Elphaba smiled weakly. "I'll try."

Galinda hugged her next. "Night, Elphie. You really have to get out of here quickly. It's so weird being in the room by myself."

"I thought you wanted a private suite," Elphaba teased her.

Galinda chuckled. "I thought so too."

Boq was next, giving her a light hug. "Night, Elphaba."

"Goodnight, Boq."

Nessa squeezed her sister's hand tightly. "Is there anything you want us to bring tomorrow?"

"I'm fine, Nessa. I'll see you in the morning," Elphaba answered gently.

Even once they'd all said goodnight, they others hung around awkwardly. They all felt bad about leaving Elphaba alone on this night, because they all knew that when left alone, Elphaba was likely to dwell on what was going to happen the next day.

They'd all sat in the room with her father as Dr Crowe explained how the splenectomy would work, and explained all the risks and any questions they had. And now they were all very aware of just how much time- or rather, how little of it- was facing them until the doctor would come and take Elphaba away to the operating room.

Twelve hours and counting.

"Guys, get out of here and go get some sleep," Elphaba finally ordered them.

"Fine," Fiyero agreed reluctantly. "Just... don't dwell on anything, ok? Think happy thoughts."

"Think pink!"

Elphaba stared at Galinda blankly, who shrugged. "What? It makes _me_ happy."

"I'll keep that in mind," Elphaba said dryly.

Once she was left alone, Elphaba let out a deep breath.

The trouble with trying not to think about a subject, is that naturally, it's the only subject that your brain is able to focus on. Elphaba stared up at the ceiling, trying to think about anything other than what awaited her in the morning.

She felt wide awake, and completely tense. Elphaba was downright terrified.

It wasn't so much the operation itself that scared her, it was the reason behind the operation. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Dr Crowe's face as he entered the hospital room, with that look in his eyes that had made her feel as though an icy hand was squeezing her insides. He had admitted earlier that one of the reasons for moving up her tests was because he had thought he had seen something on her chest x-ray before they removed the fluid. But because it was so small, he had wanted to do the other tests and confirming there was something wrong before saying anything.

It had been the same look on his face when he had first told her that she had cancer, a look that was etched on to every corner of her mind. So when she had seen it today, she knew that it was bad news. But knowing it was bad news, and knowing exactly what the bad news... it was both a good thing and a bad thing. Knowing the details was much better than leaving her imagination to spiral wildly, but at the same time... you couldn't hide behind the truth.

The cancer had spread. That was the truth. And for the first time, Elphaba had to consider a reality that didn't end happily ever after. For the first time, it had seemed like there was a real possibility that she might not beat this.

Elphaba had always had thoughts about this possibility, but it had seemed like a bad dream. But here it was, staring her in the face. If it happened once, it could happen again. The cancer could spread. The treatment might not work. She might die.

This was a possibility that her friends refused to consider. On the rare occasions Elphaba tried to bring it up, Fiyero either argued with her until she gave up or distracted her by kissing her, Galinda changed the subject, Boq turned silent and uncomfortable and Nessa got teary. So the fact remained that none of them were prepared for that possibility. Including herself.

Suddenly sitting up in bed, Elphaba reached for a pen and a notebook. It wasn't that she thought there was a chance that something could go wrong tomorrow, but she was in that moment, completely clearheaded and rational. And wasn't that the best state of mind to take care of matters like this? She just wanted to be prepared.

She wrote steadily for the next few hours, trying to find the right words to say everything she wanted to say, if the worst should happen. Writing each letter was incredibly heart wrenching, each of them for different reasons. Nessa, Galinda, Boq, Fiyero... Elphaba hoped to Oz that they would never have cause to read these letters, but she wanted to ensure that things were said. She even wrote a letter for her father, which was difficult to write for reasons so different to having to write the letter to Nessa or Fiyero.

There were all sorts of decisions Elphaba realised had to be made. How far should she go with this? Should she be making plans for her funeral? Should she need to write a will? Elphaba didn't really think she had that many assets that warranted a will, but she jotted down a few notes in the notebook anyway, just a few select items that she wanted someone especially to have for a particular reason. Her mother's green bottle to Nessa, the pointed black hat that had ended up sparking the beginning of her and Galinda's friendship to the blonde.

Once she'd finished writing, she closed the notebook and slipped it to the bottom of the pile of school books that were nearby, knowing no one would disturb it. Then she curled up under the sheets and closed her eyes, one hand resting just under her ribcage on her left- the spot above her spleen, that would soon be removed.

Four to six weeks, it would take to heal, Dr Crowe had told her. They'd spoken for a long time about what that meant, how she'd have to be careful about getting her stitches wet and caring for the wound so it didn't get infected. Elphaba's main concern was what happened if she pulled the stitches whilst vomiting- a real possibility. Dr Crowe had acknowledged that but was "reluctant" to stop her treatment in the meantime.

Elphaba knew why. If the cancer had been able to get to her spleen even with the potions, they wouldn't want to stop it, even for a short time.

She finally drifted off to sleep sometime around one am, and slept fitfully through nurse's rounds and the regular sounds that filled the hospital at night that she felt she would never get accustomed to. And then she woke up at six, unable to get back to sleep.

Visiting hours started at nine, and Fiyero, Galinda, Nessa and Boq were in her room at nine-oh-one, which told Elphaba they'd been in the waiting room waiting for permission to enter.

"How did you sleep?" Fiyero asked her, once he'd kissed her.

"Not great," she admitted. "You?"

"About the same."

None of them looked particularly well-rested, and Elphaba got a sense of déjà vu, remembering them all gathering after a sleepless night after learning she had been diagnosed. Galinda seemed to be thinking the same, because when she met Elphaba's eyes, she gave a wry smile and said,

"This sucks."

Elphaba chuckled. "Yep."

"How long will the surgery go again?" Nessa asked nervously.

"It should be only an hour," Elphaba quoted the response Dr Crowe had given her when she'd asked the day before. Of course, he had also said, "provided there are no complications" but Elphaba wasn't adding that. Not when Nessa looked like she was about to fall apart.

Frex arrived in the room just after ten, looking not much more rested than the rest of them, and the time dragged slowly by before two nurses entered to prep Elphaba for surgery and asked them all to leave.

"Good luck," Boq offered weakly, not sure what else to say.

"We'll be here when you wake up," Fiyero promised her.

Galinda and Nessa added their best wishes, before they all stepped into the hall. Once she was prepped for surgery, the nurses lifted the rails on either side of the bed and began to move her out of the room.

It was strange, being moved whilst lying flat on her back and only really being able to stare at the ceiling. Elphaba felt like she had seen far more ceilings in the past few months than she ever had before. And really, once you'd seen one, you'd seen them all.

As they entered the hall, she saw Fiyero pushing himself off the wall he'd been leaning against.

"I love you," he murmured in her ear, bending down and walking alongside the bed.

Elphaba couldn't speak, so she just nodded. She knew Fiyero would understand. Galinda waved sadly and Boq offered a smile as she passed. She couldn't see Nessa, because she was so much lower, but she felt a gentle touch on her arm that she knew was her sister. And then they passed Frex.

He placed a hand on her blanket-covered leg, just for a moment. But their eyes locked for that moment, and Elphaba felt as though she and her father actually understood each other. And she could never remember feeling or thinking that way before. And then he was gone, as the bed passed him towards the operating theatre and the moment had gone too.

Watching as Elphaba was wheeled down the hall away from him; Fiyero couldn't help but stare, unable to tear his eyes from the girl he loved. And then they turned a corner, and there was no more sight from her, and he became aware of how quiet the hallway was now. The silence hung until Boq spoke.

"Shall we go to the waiting room, then?"

Fiyero inwardly cringed at the thought of going back to the waiting room. He was sick of waiting rooms, and just waiting in general. And he was so anxious he couldn't think. He needed a moment to get his head on straight.

He shook his head."I'll meet you guys there. I just need... coffee... or something."

He headed off towards the elevators, leaving the others to make their way to the waiting room.

"Do you think he should be alone?" Galinda asked worriedly.

"Just let him have a few minutes," Boq advised, as they took seats in the waiting room.

"I think I'm going to go get some food," Nessa declared. "Would anyone like anything?"

Both Boq and Galinda declined, but Frex left with Nessa for the cafeteria.

"Fiyero didn't actually go for coffee, did he?" Galinda asked suddenly.

"No," Boq replied without hesitation.

She sighed. "I wish he'd let us help him. He doesn't have to deal with this alone."

Boq was surprised. "What do you mean? I think he's doing all right. He's not falling apart or anything."

Galinda gave him a look that suggested he was an idiot.

"This is my point. If you think he's fine, he's _not _fine. How could he be fine? But he shouldn't have to pretend to be fine when he's with us."

"Are you sure he's pretending?" Boq questioned.

Galinda paused. "The night before Elphie started treatment, he came to our room. And he just... completely broke down. It was heartbreaking. And I know that he's trying to be strong for Elphie, but I don't think it's healthy to suppress it all like that."

"Well, if we're right, he's _not _suppressing it, he's out there somewhere... _un_supressing it," Boq pointed out. "What's the opposite of suppressing?"

"Elphie would know," Galinda replied absently. "But is that healthy either? To deal with it alone? I mean, we're all friends and we're all Elphie's friends. We're all upset and affected by this. Why can't we lean on each other? Get upset in front of each other and be honest about our feelings?"

"Well, that's just it, isn't it? We're all affected by this. I'm pretty sure Fiyero would rather support Elphaba and you, and Nessa than get all upset in front of us."

Galinda frowned, pausing thoughtfully. "Is that a pride thing?"

Boq shrugged. "It's a pride thing, it's a guy thing, it's a Fiyero thing. It's just a thing."

The blonde smiled faintly. "No wonder he and Elphaba are so good together. She's exactly the same."

Off Boq's puzzled glance, she explained.

"She hides it too. At least I think she does. I've only seen her break down a few times since this all started. I think she does it in the bathroom so I can't hear. But she was raised to put everyone's wellbeing before her own; and she always has this tough exterior she presents, you know?"

"What about you?" he asked her quietly.

Galinda laughed slightly. "I get upset a lot," she admitted. "And yes, sometimes I try and hide it, because it makes Elphie feel guilty. It happens a lot when I'm writing to my parents and updating them on Elphaba. Momsie and Popsicle are _so _good about asking after her and how she is."

"Did they give money to the school like Fiyero's parents?"

Galinda nodded. "Yes. Not as much, of course, but a very generous amount."

"I hope it helps."

"Well, we haven't heard anything else about it, have we?" Galinda pointed out.

Then she smiled at Boq. "You've been really great, you know."

Boq's face reddened, unaccustomed to praise from Galinda. "What do you mean?"

"Since Elphie's diagnosis. You've been so great. Going with her to the hospital, going to get Frex... you're doing all this stuff."

"Well... I just want to help," Boq answered modestly. "And there's not much I can do. And sometimes there's stuff that's easier for me to do than you, or Nessa, or Fiyero."

Galinda smiled. "Well, nevertheless, you're a good friend, Boq. To all of us. I know Elphie really appreciates it."

Boq was sure his face was bright red. "Well, she's my friend."

Nessa and Frex returned and Nessa handed them both a sandwich and a juice.

"Just in case you got hungry," she explained.

"Thanks, Nessa. How are you holding up?" Galinda asked softly.

Nessa gave a forced smile. "Everything's going to be fine, I know it is. But just waiting is horrendible, isn't it?"

"The worst," Galinda agreed.

Even as Nessa nodded, her eyes welled up with tears and she pressed her lips together tightly. Before Galinda or Boq could comfort her, Frex gently took her hand.

"Your sister is strong, Nessarose. She'll be fine," he said firmly.

Nessa chuckled sheepishly and wiped away a tear that spilled from her eye. "Yeah. I know," she agreed and Frex released her hand, settling into a chair and picking up a paper.

Fiyero arrived ten minutes later. He appeared fine, but his eyes were bloodshot.

"How long has it been?"

"Only about fifteen minutes," Boq answered sympathetically and Fiyero moaned softly, tilting his head back and pinching the bridge of his nose.

Time passed slowly. Fiyero couldn't stop fidgeting, jiggling his leg as he looked up at the clock on the wall every two minutes.

"How did Fae do it?"

"How did she do what?" Nessa asked.

Fiyero turned to Boq. "When she was waiting for the results. The day she was diagnosed. How did she deal with the waiting?"

Nessa and Galinda turned to Boq too, eager to hear the answer. They had all done their share of waiting with Elphaba since that day, for tests results and during her potions cycles; but this was by far the most torturous wait they had endured so far. And it had suddenly struck him that the only thing that would have been worse was Elphaba's wait that first day. To which the only real witness was Boq.

Boq cleared his throat uncomfortably, not used to all eyes being on him. "She... she was really quiet. She didn't speak, or even move. She just sat there, staring at the clock. But every time someone came near us, she went stiff. Like she was made of stone."

"How long did you wait?" Galinda asked.

"A few hours," Boq shrugged, unsure of the exact time.

Nessa let out a low breath. "I thought an hour seemed like a long time."

Fiyero agreed with that wholeheartedly.

The hour passed, and then some. For every extra minute that passed, the tension in the air grew thicker.

Five minutes, then ten minutes.

By half past, Fiyero thought he was going to explode.

"If something had happened... they'd tell us, right?"

"Nothing's happened," Galinda answered Fiyero fiercely. "They're just... nothing's happened. OK?"

Her voice shook slightly, and Fiyero took her hand tightly.

"OK, Glin."

Boq took Galinda's other hand, and Fiyero reached for Nessa's. And the four of them sat there, hands entwined tightly in silence as they pretended not to be watching the clock.

Finally, at last, there were approaching footsteps and Dr Crowe entered the waiting room, and headed straight for them. They all stared at him apprehensively, none of them able to speak.

"How is Elphaba?" Frex finally asked.

Dr Crowe smiled. "She's fine. The operation was a success. She lost a bit of blood, so we've given her a transfusion but there were no complications."

"Can- can we see her?" Nessa said in a small voice.

He looked at her gently. "She's still unconscious right now, and I expect her to be out for a bit longer yet. Why don't you all get out of here, get some lunch and then come back? Then you can see her?"

They exchanged reluctant glances, until Fiyero admitted, "I am kind of hungry."

Now that he knew Elphaba was okay, he suddenly realised he hadn't eaten in a few hours and he was suddenly starving.

"OK, we'll do that," Nessa agreed.

As they left the hospital, Fiyero felt almost dizzy with relief. This was really the first bit of good news they'd had so far in this war, the first battle they'd won. He was just hoping it was the beginning of the end, and not merely the end of the beginning.

**AN. A little Gloq friendship in this chapter. **


	31. Chapter 31

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. Just some sweet stuff to lighten the mood a bit. **

**Chapter Thirty-One**

"Have you cleared out the hospital florist yet?"

Fiyero sighed. "Fae, you're ruining the romantic gesture with sarcasm," he complained, lowering the bouquet of white lilies he had been brandishing triumphantly as he entered the room.

Elphaba smiled softly. "Sorry. Thank you, they're beautiful."

"Besides, I don't get them from the _hospital _florist. There's a much better florist in town."

"And by 'better' you mean 'more expensive'," she said knowingly.

He stared at her pointedly and she rolled her eyes. "Sorry! _Again_. But really, Yero... there's too much."

Fiyero looked around the room. There were five- six now, counting the lilies- bouquets of flowers in Elphaba and Galinda's dorm room, one for every day since her operation. And those were just the ones from Fiyero alone. There were an additional seven bouquets one each from Galinda, Nessa and Frex, Boq, Kasmira and Ibrahim, Galinda's parents, Michi and the support group, and one from the Shiz staff.

"How are none of these dead yet?" he asked, almost in wonder.

"Not the point," Elphaba scolded him.

"Ok," he conceded. "I won't bring any more flowers... after tomorrow."

"Fiyero!"

"What?! Tomorrow's Valentine's Day," he protested.

She stared at him in exasperation, and then finally relented. "Fine. But then no more. Understood?"

"Understood," he agreed with a grin, leaning down to kiss her. "Where do you want the lilies?"

"On the desk? Next to the daisies from Boq."

Fiyero placed them there, and then sat gently on the edge of her bed. "How are you? Spleen, lungs, generally?"

"Sore, fine and tired," she replied.

She shifted slightly on the pillows with a wince and then let out a breath. "So am I allowed to know what you have planned for Valentine's Day?"

Fiyero had thought about making it a surprise, but he knew better.

"Nothing extreme," he promised her. "I arranged it with Galinda, and she's going to clear out for the night so we can have some privacy. I thought we'd do another picnic... considering you can't really move yet."

"You kicked Galinda out?" Elphaba cried indignantly.

"She's fine with it," he reassured her.

Elphaba felt bad about that, but knew Galinda was more than likely genuinely okay with it.

"OK. It sounds nice," she agreed.

"A little dose of romance and normalcy as requested," Fiyero grinned.

Elphaba kissed him softly. "I can't wait," she said, her tone completely sincere.

This wasn't exactly Fiyero's first choice for Valentine's Day festivations, but when your girlfriend had cancer and had just had surgery... well, you had to change your plans. Fiyero had thought the picnic was a great idea, both as a tie in to their first date and something that required little movement, effort or energy on her part.

"So," Fiyero asked conversationally. "Which are your favourites?"

Elphaba looked at him blankly. "My favourite what?"

"Flowers," he clarified.

"Oh, right."

Elphaba found that decision easy. "The red roses."

They were one of the bouquets from Fiyero, so her answer pleased him.

"Really? Why?"

Elphaba's answer was simple. "They were the first flowers I've ever been given."

He laughed. "And now you have a roomful."

She chuckled slightly, trying not to pull on her stitches. "Ironic, isn't it?"

She looked around the room, looking at all the different flowers. Boq had given her the daisies, Galinda had given her pink (of course) roses with a little card that read "proof that pink goes good with green. Get well soon, Elphie. Love, Galinda." It had made Elphaba laugh.

Nessa and Frex had given her simple white carnations; the staff had given her peonies; Michi and the support group had sent daffodils; and Fiyero's parents and Galinda's had both sent large bouquets of assorted flowers.

Fiyero had given her everything from roses, to orchids, tulips, sunflowers, lilies and violets; and although Elphaba didn't know it yet, he was organising a special large bouquet for Valentine's Day.

It was probably just as well Elphaba had said no more flowers, because Fiyero honestly didn't know how he would be able to top tomorrow's bouquet.

"Where's Glin?" he asked her.

"She's Galindafying Nessa before her first date with Kai," Elphaba replied with a faint smile.

"Oh, right. That's today?"

"Apparently. She kept on postponing because of me, so I told her to stop being a wuss and just go out for the damn cup of coffee already."

Fiyero laughed in delight. "You did not!"

Elphaba shrugged, but she was smiling slightly. "It worked, didn't it?"

He shook his head slightly in admiration. "I love the hell out of you, you know that?"

"Thank you. I think," she replied with a slight laugh. "It's just... she hasn't dated anyone since Boq, and we all know how _that _ended. So, I think she's nervous to actually go out with him because of that."

Fiyero was thoughtful. "Maybe I should check Kai out."

"For what? _You_ want to date him?"

He rolled his eyes. "To make sure he's good enough for Nessa. To find out what kind of guy he is... that kind of thing."

Elphaba frowned slightly. "Again, why?"

Fiyero faltered. "Well... Nessa's your sister..."

"Yes," Elphaba nodded.

"And I'm your boyfriend."

"Yes."

"So... well, one day, when we get married that means Nessa's going to be my sister-in-law. So, she's pretty much family, right?"

A slow smile spread over Elphaba's face until she was beaming, and she kissed him softly.

"If you want to go all big brother on Nessa and check Kai out, go for it," she agreed. "I'm not much in a position to deliver the 'hurt my sister and I'll hex you' lecture right now anyway."

He chuckled. "OK."

Elphaba smiled, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it gently. "It means a lot to me, Yero. What you said about Nessa being family."

Fiyero kissed her gently. "Well, you mean a lot to me. And I meant every word."

"Do you mean it?" Elphaba asked teasingly and he grinned.

Galinda arrived fifteen minutes later, beaming.

"Elphie! Oh, Nessa looked so beautiful! Well, she always looks beautiful, but you know what I mean."

"Is she excited?" Elphaba asked.

Galinda nodded. "Of course! She said she'll come by and tell us all about it after. I hope it goes well between her and Kai."

Fiyero got up. "I think I'll go start investigating," he said to Elphaba, who nodded.

"Ok. Let me know what you find out," she told him and he agreed, kissing her farewell before leaving her and Galinda alone.

The blonde was confused. "What is Fiyero investigating?" she asked.

"Kai. He wants to make sure he's good enough for Nessa," Elphaba answered with a smile.

Galinda melted. "That's _so_ sweet!"

"I thought so," Elphaba agreed.

Then she noticed the time. "Were you with Nessa this whole time?"

"No, I ducked into town, because I'm out of hairspray. And I got this new conditioner! It's supposed to be _amazing! _Apparently, one of the ingredients is this potion that just _solves _the problem of dead ends! Can you imagine?!"

"Not at the moment," Elphaba replied and Galinda cringed.

"Oh, Oz! I'm sorry, Elphie. I forgot."

Elphaba didn't know how one could forget that the person they were talking to her no hair, but she smiled comfortingly.

"It's fine, Glin."

Galinda still felt awful. "I'm going to go shower. I want to try this conditioner."

"Alright. I'll be here."

When there was a knock on the door a few minutes later, Elphaba supressed a groan. There was always at least _one _person in her room, if not more and sometimes all she wanted was a few moments alone. Sometimes.

"Come in!" she called.

The door opened hesitantly and Boq stuck his head in. "Hey."

"Hey. What's going on?" she asked, gesturing for him to come in.

Boq shrugged, awkwardly sitting on her desk chair. "I was working on our Philosophy assignment. I figured if anyone was around, they'd be here. But... they're not."

Elphaba chuckled. "Galinda's in the shower, Fiyero's investigating Kai, and Nessa's out with Kai."

Boq looked surprised. "Oh... s-she is? That's happening?"

Elphaba's brow furrowed at his attempt to be casual and cover his obvious surprise. "Yeah, it is. Why?"

"Oh, I just didn't know that was actually happening..."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Boq, can I remind you of your history with my sister? You dated her to impress Galinda; broke her heart five minutes after Galinda was single; and have done nothing since. But you're surprised that she's dating someone else?"

"Well, when you put it that way," Boq acknowledged, cringing.

She sighed. "You've spent forever mooning over Galinda. I'll tell you the same thing I told Nessa, stop being a wuss and do something already. Will you just ask Galinda out?"

Boq perked up hopefully. "You think she'd say yes?"

"Of course she won't," Elphaba replied bluntly. "But at least if you ask her and you hear her say no, you can move on. Let go of this dream."

Boq blinked at her. "Well... that's comforting."

Elphaba sighed. "Sorry," she apologised. "I really don't think it's anything personal with Galinda. But you're friends, and she and Nessa are friends. You and Nessa are friends. Even if Galinda _did _feel something for you, she wouldn't go there because of that friendship. She's told me that herself."

Boq fell silent. "Well, that makes sense," he said finally.

Elphaba felt a little bad. "I am sorry," she apologised.

"No," Boq said quickly. "It's not your fault. Thanks for telling me the truth."

She smiled. "I try."

He rose to his feet. "I'll go, before Galinda gets out of the shower. Maybe I'll try and find Fiyero... help with his investigating."

"Sure," Elphaba agreed with a smile.

When Galinda got out of the shower, Elphaba told her what had happened between her and Boq. Galinda was sympathetic.

"Oh, poor Boq. I probably should have said something to him ages ago. I just..."

"Like being adored?" Elphaba finished, and Galinda smiled guiltily.

"Something like that. Are you going to tell Nessa?"

Elphaba hadn't thought about that. "Maybe I'll wait and see how well her date went," she decided.

The date, evidently, had gone well. When Nessa arrived at Elphaba and Galinda's dorm, she was practically glowing.

"How did it go?" Galinda demanded eagerly.

"It was good," Nessa said simply, smiling softly. "We had fun."

Galinda frowned. "Fun?"

Nessa looked panic-stricken. "What? Is that wrong?"

Elphaba sighed and rolled her eyes. "Of course it's not," she reassured her sister, sending a pointed glare at Galinda.

"No, no it's not wrong," Galinda hastily added. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. So... did he ask you out again?"

Nessa blushed slightly. "Yes. To dinner on Friday night."

Galinda squealed. "That's so exciting! We'll have to find you something amazing to wear!"

Nessa hesitated. "Oh... sure. It's just... I said I'd have to let him know."

Galinda nodded, clearly impressed. "Nice. Play it mysterious. Good work, Nessarose."

"No!" Nessa gasped in horror. "No, that's not what I was doing! I just... I said I need to make sure there was nothing else going on with Elphaba."

Elphaba groaned. "No, Nessa, don't do that. Go out. Have fun. This cancer is ruining _my_ life, it's not going to ruin anyone else's... even more than it already has. So just go out on your date. Everyone needs to stop putting their lives on hold, because this could go on for a really long time," she warned.

Galinda and Nessa stared at her blankly.

"Elphie, no one's-"

"Really, Glin?" Elphaba cut her friend off. "When was the last time you dated? Or went to the OzDust? Or had a girls night with the annoying trio?"

Galinda let the reference to Pfannee, Shen-Shen and Milla slide. In truth, she realised Elphaba had a point. Except for one bit.

"I was at the OzDust the other week! Remember?"

Elphaba made a face. "Right. Ok, but my point is-"

"We get your point, Fabala," Nessa said softly. "I didn't realise we were doing that."

"Me either," Galinda admitted. "What did you mean? That this could take a long time?"

Elphaba hesitated, before answering. "Our tutor had cancer when we were children. She fought it for two years before she died."

Galinda whitened. She looked to Nessa, who gave a small nod in reluctant confirmation.

"Oh. You've never told me that."

"I don't really like to think about it," Elphaba said softly. "I didn't want you to have to think about it either."

Nessa broke the silence that followed. "I'll tell Kai I'm free for dinner on Friday."

"Good."

"Are you sure-"

Elphaba sighed. "Nessa, it's a Friday. I have my next dose of potions that day, so all you'll miss is me sleeping and/or vomiting. Neither of which are conducive to romance."

Nessa laughed and relented.

Elphaba was glad that Valentine's Day was a Wednesday. She was always feeling her best in the day or two before she received her next dose of potions, so it was the best time to do things. Not that Valentine's Day was especially important to her, but it seemed to be to Fiyero, so she was willing to go along with it.

But that didn't mean she didn't roll her eyes when Fiyero entered the room the next night and handed her a lavish bouquet of red tulips and blue irises.

"They're really beautiful," she admitted, taking them and inhaling their scent. "Thank you."

"Happy Valentine's Day," he smiled, kissing her. "One romantic picnic, as promised."

Elphaba peeked inside the picnic basket he was carrying, and peered at the containers inside.

"What do we have here?"

"_Well," _Fiyero replied with a flourish, setting down the basket and pulling out what was inside.

"We have fresh fruit and yoghurt; chicken with mushroom, tomatoes and spices and pasta; spring onion, garlic and prawn risotto; and vegetable soup. We also have to drink, peppermint tea or banana, honey and hazelnut smoothies made with soy milk."

Elphaba was both impressed and dismayed. "That's a lot of food," she said finally.

"Well, it's not all for you," he teased and she laughed.

"Thank Oz for that."

"Besides, you can save whatever's left and eat it later. The book said these are all great for cancer patients who don't have much appetite or sense of taste, and-"

He broke off at the stunned look on Elphaba's face.

"What?"

"What book?" she asked faintly.

Fiyero realised what he'd said and inwardly cringed. "Did I say that? I don't know why I said that, it makes no sense. I have no idea what that means-"

"Fiyero."

He sighed, before sheepishly admitting. "I have a book on nutrition in cancer patients. I got a few books from the Emerald City last week."

As Elphaba remained stunned and silent, Fiyero grew nervous and began to ramble.

"It's just... after everything that's happened the past few weeks, I wanted to help. I wanted to make sure you were taken care of. But I didn't know what to do, and there were no books here, so I ordered them from the Emerald City."

Elphaba reached over and kissed him deeply.

"That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me," she said in softly, her eyes shining in wonder.

Fiyero didn't know what to say. "I'm pretty sure I've done better than read a few books," he finally said.

Elphaba shook her head, and Fiyero was startled to see tears in her eyes. This was more common since her splenectomy, but that didn't mean he was used to it. Or that he liked it.

"Fae," he said softly, and she waved him away as he handed her a tissue.

"I'm okay. Really. I just... thank you. For doing that."

"Well, it's not like I actually cooked all this myself. _Then _you'd be impressed," he said lightly and she laughed.

"Who _did _cook all this?"

"I sweet talked the cafeteria workers," he admitted.

Elphaba felt as though she should have known. As they ate, Fiyero told her what else he'd learned from his books.

"They said eggs are really good for the side effects of the potions, but I know you're not big on eggs... unless they're scrambled."

Elphaba nodded. Sometimes egg made her feel incredibly nauseous, which would defeat the purpose of using them to counter the side effects of the potions.

"Can we make a pact?" she asked him.

Fiyero was intrigued. "Sure. What kind of pact?"

"No more cancer talk," Elphaba said. "Not tonight."

Fiyero smiled softly, and took her hand gently. "Deal."

"How did your investigation on Kai go?" she changed the subject.

He shrugged. "He seems like a nice guy," he admitted. "I think he'll treat Nessa right anyway. So, not that I don't like your sister but can we not talk about her either?"

Elphaba chuckled. "Ok," she agreed and the conversation moved to lighter subjects.

They had pre-arranged not to exchange gifts, and for once Fiyero had actually stuck to that agreement, albeit reluctantly .

"It just feels wrong, it's our first Valentine's Day and we're not giving gifts?" he'd protested, but Elphaba had just shrugged.

"I don't need anything."

Fiyero had thought about that. There was only one thing he needed, he realised, and that was for Elphaba to be healthy again. And that couldn't be bought or gift wrapped.


	32. Chapter 32

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. I feel I should warn everyone that there is a topic in this chapter that people might find upsetting. But it fits Elphaba's situation and who she is; and I thought I would be remiss if I _didn't _bring it up. That being said, I like the first half of this chapter a lot more than the 2nd half. I just think the first half came off better. **

**Also, we have 9 chapters left! Plus an epilogue and a mini-sequel, both of which must be posted separate for reasons I will explain when the time comes. **

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

The beginning of March marked the period between Elphaba's fifth and sixth cycle of potions. This would be her last cycle, followed by more tests and then the radiation spells. You would think that this knowledge, knowing the end of the potions was in sight, would cheer Elphaba up greatly. And whilst it certainly did her friends, the same could not be said for Elphaba.

As the days passed, she grew quieter and more withdrawn. And none of them knew why. They had all tried talking to her, but she gave nothing away. Nessa wondered if something had happened to one of the people in the support group or that she had met in the hospital; but when she sought Michi out to ask, Michi told her that all the others in the group were fine.

"Periods of depression are common in cancer patients," she told Nessa gently. "Elphaba's had them before, hasn't she?"

"A little, but not like this."

Michi nodded in understanding. "Just be there for her and keep an eye on her. If she doesn't lift out of it soon, we'll go from there, ok?"

Nessa didn't find that terribly comforting.

"There must be more we can do," she said helplessly to the others.

"I don't think us talking about it behind her back will help her be happier," Fiyero said dryly. "You know she hates that."

"Well, she's not talking to us, is she?" Nessa muttered.

Fiyero raised an eyebrow at her bitter and angry tone. "Why, Miss Nessarose! I didn't know you had it in you!"

Nessa blushed. "I just... I'm frustrated," she explained. "You guys are so much more capable of taking care of Fabala than I am, because of this stupid chair... and now she's so sad all the time, and I don't know why and I can't help her."

Tears welled up in her eyes, and Galinda hastened to comfort her.

"Nessa, she'll get through this," she soothed.

"Yeah, Elphaba's tough," Boq added.

Galinda frowned at the Munchkin. "Why do you still call her Elphaba?"

They were all startled by the sudden change in topic and the random question. Boq in particular looked put on the spot and very confused.

"Um... because that's her name?"

Fiyero snorted with laughter, which he hastily turned into a cough as his friend glared at him.

"Sorry. Galinda, what's your point?"

"Boq, you and Elphie are friends now. Like, close friends. And you still call her by her full name. You're the only one who still calls her 'Elphaba'. _I _have Elphie, Nessa has Fabala and Fiyero has Fae."

"OK, but Elphaba isn't really a nickname type person," Boq pointed out. "All of the nicknames she has were bestowed upon her and they're special. I just... never thought it was right for me to use any of them."

"Well, let's ask Elphie!"

Galinda trooped them all up from the courtyard to her dorm room. When she'd left to meet the others for lunch, Elphaba had declined saying that she wasn't feeling well and wanted to sleep. But when she cautiously entered the room and beckoned the others to follow her, Elphaba was sitting at the window, doing something with the journal Frex and Nessa had given her from Lurlinemas.

And Galinda didn't beat around the bush.

"Elphie, what can Boq call you?"

Elphaba looked up tiredly, and Fiyero's heart clenched as the light made her look even thinner and wan than she was already.

"What's wrong with my name?"

"It's _three_ syllables," Galinda replied as though it was obvious. "Besides, we all have nicknames for you. Boq should too. Otherwise, he'll be left out."

Elphaba just stared at her best friend for a moment, before shifting her gaze to Boq.

"You feel left out because you call me 'Elphaba'?"

"No!" Boq answered hastily. "This was all Galinda."

Galinda perched herself on her bed and looked at Elphaba sweetly. "Can he call you 'Elphie'?"

"No," Elphaba said flatly. "You're lucky I let _you _call me that."

Galinda sighed. "Well, I know you're not going to let him call you 'Fae', so that only leaves 'Fabala'."

"Or Elphaba," Elphaba retorted.

"He could make up his own name," Nessa suggested.

Elphaba sighed and deflated. "Whatever. Boq, call me whatever you want."

Fiyero supressed a sigh. He missed his Elphaba, the girl who was stubborn as hell and would argue until she ran out of breath- and probably keep arguing even then. He had made light of it to Nessa, but he _was _really worried about Elphaba. But he felt as helpless as Nessa did.

"Are you going to any classes this afternoon, Fae?" he asked gently.

"I don't think so. I'm kinda tired."

The others shot him imploring glances, no doubt figuring if any of them could persuade her, it would be him.

"I think it could be good for you. Get you out of the room," he suggested. "What do you have this afternoon?"

"Philosophy," Boq offered when Elphaba didn't.

"See, you like philosophy," Fiyero prodded her.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't say it like that. Like I'm a child you're trying to convince to eat my vegetables or clean my room or something."

"I'm sorry Fae," he apologised. "I just think it could be really good for you to get out of this room for just an hour. Go to class, get some fresh air... learn something new and come back and tell us about it."

"Or you could just go and enjoy learning something new _without _telling us about it," Galinda said quickly and even Elphaba couldn't not smile at that.

"OK, I'll go," she agreed reluctantly, seeing they weren't going to give up.

So twenty minutes later, she half heartedly dragged herself into her Philosophy classroom, and plopped down in a seat a few rows back next to Boq. Elphaba could feel her classmates staring at her, and really wished she was back in bed. She didn't feel like being here at all.

She hadn't been in class in a couple of weeks, and she wasn't sure how up to date she was. Admittedly, she'd let her school work slide the past few weeks. She hadn't had the motivation or the energy to do much of anything lately. But as far as she knew, they were still studying Practical Ethics, a subject which she ordinarily found fascinating and had led to some really interesting debates in class.

Practical ethics was, as she had tried to explain to her friends multiple times, the study of attempting to use philosophical methods to identify the morally correct course of action in various fields of human life.

Their teacher entered the room just before class began, and when he saw Elphaba, he drew to a stop, looking both surprised to see her and faintly alarmed, which confused Elphaba. All of her teachers were past being startled by her skin by now.

"Ah, Miss Elphaba! You- you're here."

Elphaba frowned slightly. "Yes. Am I not supposed to be?"

"Of course," he replied hastily.

Then he looked around, before clearing his throat and stepping towards her so that none of the others in the class could hear.

"I, uh, I wasn't expecting you to be here. I... I should warn you... you might find today's discussion a little... uncomfortable."

Elphaba glanced at Boq in confusion. "Me? Just me? Why?"

Dr Ledibelle seemed reluctant to comment. "Just if you'd prefer to leave-"

"I'd prefer to stay, thank you," Elphaba cut him off, coolly. She wasn't sure what was going on, but if he was trying to get her to leave, she wanted to know why.

Dr Ledibelle looked reluctant and uncomfortable, but nodded and took his position at the front of the classroom. And as soon as he wrote the topic on the board, Elphaba understood his discomfort.

Euthanasia_. _

_Well, this is interesting, _was all she could think.

Dr Ledibelle cleared his throat. "Now. Who can tell me the difference between euthanasia and suicide?"

To no one's surprise, Elphaba raised her hand.

"Suicide is when you kill yourself. Euthanasia is a mercy killing- when someone who is terminally ill asks to be killed to end their suffering."

The professor nodded. "Yes. And that's the distinction. The person who is euthanized is suffering and terminally ill."

"So, they're going to die anyway?" a boy in the front row asked.

"Exactly."

A girl who was kind of friends with Nessa and sitting the row behind Boq and Elphaba spoke up.

"I don't get it. If I swallow poison and kill myself, that's suicide. But I'm going to die anyway and I swallow the poison, it's okay?"

Dr Ledibelle pointed at her. "And that's the question we have to ask ourselves. _Is it okay? _Does the circumstances of being terminal make it okay to take your own mortality into your own hands?"

Elphaba noted that many of the others in the class were shooting glances at her, and not really trying to be subtle about it.

"I'm not terminal," she said pointedly, so that her voiced carried across the classroom.

"Yet," she added under her breath as they all flushed and looked away.

It was still audible, and Boq pinched her arm discreetly as a few of their classmates looked back to her in alarm.

"Ouch," she hissed at him.

"It wasn't that hard," he hissed back.

Dr Ledibelle called for their attention once more.

"Alright. So let's take a poll. Who thinks that euthanasia is not morally acceptable?"

About half the class raised their hands.

"And who thinks it is?"

Less than the remaining half raised their hands this time, including Boq and Elphaba.

"And who's undecided?"

The last few students raised their hand, and Dr Ledibelle nodded.

"Alright. Does someone want to open discussion?"

Some discussions began slowly, others would turn into a debate almost immediately and could become incredibly heated. This would apparently be one of the former.

It took a few minutes before it really evolved into a discussion, Dr Ledibelle gently prompting them until there were enough involved that he could sit back and mediate when needed.

"It's murder," the girl behind Elphaba and Boq insisted. "Just because you're dying, doesn't mean it's ok to decide when it's your time to die."

"We do it with animals all the time," Boq pointed out. "I mean, maybe it's the whole Munchkinland, growing up on a farm thing, but we put animals down all the time. When they're sick, or old... no one protests about that. No one thinks we should just let an animal suffer in pain until they die naturally. But it's okay for a person to suffer?"

The boy in the front row turned around in his seat to address them.

"The thing about with animals is that they can't speak. They can't tell us that they're in pain and ready to die. And with animals, they're not always going to be terminal. Like you said, sometimes animals just get put down because they're old. We don't do that with people. So doesn't that make it different?"

"I think euthanasia is okay if the person _is _terminal, and if they ask for it or give their consent. I don't think a person can just decide that it would be easier to end someone's life because they're terminal and in pain," another boy up the back spoke up.

"What if they're in a coma?" a girl questioned him. "What if they can't consent?"

Elphaba had remained largely silent so far, listening to all the differing opinions around the room. But when two girls went on for five minutes about how wrong it was and how no one should be able to take their life- or death- into their own hands, no matter what, she couldn't help herself.

"Have you ever seen someone who's dying?" she demanded, whirling around in her seat to face them.

The room went deadly silent and all eyes fell on her. The two girls shook their heads mutely in response to Elphaba's question.

"I have. The hospital is full of them. People- of all ages- who have been fighting cancer for a year, or five years, or ten years. Or they didn't find it until it was too late to do anything about it. And they're just lying there. They can't eat, or sleep or talk. It hurts to move or breathe or to do anything. They're in so much pain, and all they can do is lie there and wait to die. And you're saying they can't do anything about that? That they just have to lie there, in pain and wait to die? You're saying that's okay?"

There was not a sound in the classroom as everyone stared wide- eyed at Elphaba, including Boq and Dr Ledibelle. The two girls didn't know what to say, and one of them looked close to tears.

"I er, I think we've all discoverated much to think about today," Dr Ledibelle finally said, breaking the silence.

"I think we'll leave it for today. Class dismissed."

Elphaba left the room as fast as she could, Boq following hastily. They didn't speak as they headed to the student common room, where they had arranged to meet the others as they left. When Fiyero glanced up to greet them, his smile faded almost immediately.

"What's going on? Did something happen?" he asked in alarm, seeing the look on their faces.

Boq shot a glance at Elphaba as they sat down.

"Uh... we were talking about something today in class."

"What?" Galinda frowned.

"Euthanasia," Boq replied quietly.

Nessa gaped at them for a moment. "_Oh."_

Fiyero was not pleased. "Is that the best topic to be discussing? Given the circumstances?"

"It's part of the curriculum," Elphaba responded. "And it's a philosophy class, focusing on ethics. You can't avoid uncomfortable topics."

"Elphaba shut two girls up who were really against it," Boq offered.

Nessa turned to her sister in horror. "Meaning you approve?"

Elphaba slowly met her sister's gaze, knowing how her sister would feel about it.

"I do," she admitted. "If someone is terminal and suffering, why not? I think it's their right."

Galinda was trying to understand. "So... if you..." she didn't want to say it, but forced herself to utter the words.

"If you were dying, you'd want to do it? To die?"

"If it was terminal and there was nothing that could be done... I think so," Elphaba said honestly.

"When the alternative is just waiting to die and making you all watch me suffer? Yes."

She sighed and looked at them carefully. "The question came up in class about what happens in circumstances if a person can't consent. If they're unconscious or something."

Nessa looked sick. "Fabala, I don't want to talk about that."

"Nessa-"

"Elphaba, I _don't_ want to talk about it!" Nessarose interrupted furiously. "That's _not_ going to be you. It's nothing we have to worry about!"

"Ness-"

"_No!" _Nessa exclaimed furiously, and wheeled herself away.

Elphaba looked after her sister sorrowfully, but didn't go after her.

"Can you blame her, Elphie?" Galinda asked quietly.

"No. But it could happen-"

"And you could also go into remission tomorrow," Galinda insisted. "We don't want that decision. You can't give us that power."

"Someone has to," Elphaba insisted practically.

"But not us. Not now," Galinda insisted tearily, and got up, heading off after Nessarose.

"I'll go check on them," Boq offered and silently slipped away, leaving Elphaba and Fiyero alone.

Elphaba looked up at him. "Do you understand?"

Fiyero looked pained. "I do, but... Fae, it's not an easy thing to think about."

She turned to face him solemnly. "I know, it's doesn't exactly thrillify me either. But we can't ignore it. If it was to happen... would you?"

He flinched. "Fae, I couldn't-"

"I didn't ask if you could. I asked if you would," she interrupted.

Fiyero swallowed hard and gently caressed her face. "You know I'd do anything for you, Fae," he said softly. "But I hope with every ounce of my being that I never have to make that decision."

Elphaba managed a small smile. "Me too. But realistically... everyone ignoring the issue isn't going to make it go away."

Fiyero leaned forward and kissed her gently. "I know. But I can't think about that possibility, Fae. Not now."

Elphaba although reluctant, could understand that.

"Where have you been lately?" he murmured.

Elphaba didn't have to ask what he meant. She lowered her gaze and sighed.

"I've just been thinking a lot. I've only got one cycle of potions left."

Fiyero smiled. "I know! Isn't it great?"

"But what if it was all for nothing?" she asked worriedly. "What if I did all this and went through everything and it didn't work?"

Fiyero gaped at her. "_That's _what's been going on?!"

She nodded weakly, and he drew her close comfortingly.

"Fae, whatever happens... we'll deal with it, ok? But there is no reason to think it hasn't worked," he tried to reassure her.

"We didn't think there was a reason to think I'd have to get my spleen removed either," she retorted.

Fiyero kissed her gently. "Elphaba, don't think like that," he said earnestly. "It's going to be fine, I know it."

"What, you're psychic now?" she asked.

"Maybe," he grinned and she chuckled weakly.

Fiyero wrapped her in his arms and held her close, feeling her ribs and spine under his hands.

"I've missed you," he whispered to her.

She burrowed closer and tightened her grip on him. "I'm sorry. I just... I went into my head a bit. I didn't want to put the thought in anyone's head if it hadn't occurred to them already. I didn't want it in _my _head."

"Well next time, let us in, okay? We've been worried."

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, sounding slightly choked up.

Elphaba wasn't exactly back to her old self yet, but Fiyero sensed she was lighter and hoped this was a sign that she would become more herself from now on. He knew how much this fear must have been weighing her down.

"You should tell the others. We've all been really worried, Fae," he said gently when she looked up at him in protest.

Elphaba was reluctant, but agreed. "Ok. I will."

After dinner that night, she went to her sister's room where Nessa was working on some homework.

"Hi, Nessie. Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Nessa looked up. "About what?" she asked warily.

Elphaba entered the room and sat on the bed. "Well, first I wanted to say sorry. About earlier."

Nessa looked at her hands. "I know it could be necessary one day, but... maybe that's something you should talk about with Father."

Elphaba honestly hadn't thought about that. "You're right, maybe I should," she replied. "And um... there's something else. I know I've been a bit down lately. And the thing is... realising how close I am to finishing with the potions has made me a little anxious."

Nessa frowned. "Why?"

"In case it didn't work," Elphaba said quietly.

Nessa's eyes widened. "Oh. I- I hadn't thought of that."

Elphaba gave a weak smile. "Lucky."

Nessa bit her lip. "Do you still think about it?"

"I'm trying not to. But it's not easy," she admitted. "Fiyero told me how worried you've all been, so I thought I should tell you."

"I'm really glad you did. You've been so sad lately," Nessa said.

Elphaba wasn't sure what to say to that, so she just gave a faint nod.

"Well, I wanted to come by and say sorry... for everything, I guess."

"Thanks, Fabala. I meant it to- that you should talk to Father? I mean, it can't hurt right?"

"I guess not," Elphaba agreed. "I'll think about it, okay?"

Nessa smiled and nodded. "Ok."

When Elphaba left her sister, she detoured by the boys' dormitory to call on Boq and tell him. When she got there however, she found that Fiyero was there and had already told him.

"Is that okay?" he asked her.

"Sure," Elphaba shrugged.

"I know it doesn't help, Elphaba; but I wouldn't worry about anything until you have to," was Boq's advice.

She gave a half-smile. "You're right, that doesn't help. But thanks anyway."

To her surprise, the Munchkin boy got up and hugged her, which after a moment, she returned gingerly.

"Thanks, Boq," she said sincerely.

"Is Galinda next?" Fiyero asked her.

Elphaba nodded. "Yeah. That way I didn't have to leave the room once I'm done. I'll see you guys tomorrow?"

Fiyero kissed her lightly. "Definishly."

Elphaba bid them goodnight, and headed back to her own room, really looking forward to climbing back into bed.

But when she entered the room, Galinda was looking upset.

"Elphie, did you really say you wanted to kill yourself?"

Elphaba stopped dead in the doorway. "_What?! _Who in Oz's name told you _that?"_

Galinda had tears in her eyes. "Milla heard it from her friend Riaghan, who's roommate is in your Philosophy class. She said that today in class you said that you wanted to _kill_ yourself."

Elphaba sighed, and came forward to hug her best friend tightly. "Glin, I never said that. I promise you. I didn't say anything like that."

"Then- then why would they say-?"

She forced a smile. "Because there's been no new rumours about me for a while. You need something new."

"That's not funny, Elphie," Galinda said quietly.

Elphaba let out a breath. "Listen, Galinda... I need to tell you something."

"I really hate when you say that. It's never happy news," Galinda muttered, even as she took a seat on her bed and looked over at her expectantly.

Elphaba told her what she had told the others, and Galinda was quiet for a long moment when she had finished.

"You should have said something."

"I didn't-"

"Want to worry us," Galinda finished knowingly. "Elphie, haven't you realised by now that we worry whether you actually tell us or not? We probably worry more than if you did tell us, because I know _I _for one, go crazy and imagine the worst."

Elphaba chuckled weakly. "Old habits are hard to break," she said apologetically.

"I know. I also think Nessa's right. This whole... euthanasia stuff. It's very disturbing and after tonight we're going to pretend it never happened, but I think you should talk to your father about it. All that medical stuff... he'll be the one the hospital goes to anyway if they need those decisions. Being your next of kin and all. It's probably a good idea to make sure that you're both on the same page."

"Yeah, I told Nessa I'd think about it, and I will, alright?"

"Aright," Galinda held up her hands in surrender, knowing when and when not to push her friend.

As she got ready for bed and slipped under the covers, Elphaba was deep in thought. Both Galinda and Nessa had raised very good points about her father. And by the time she fell asleep, Elphaba had made a decision. She was going to talk with her father.

**AN. Yeah, I have to write another Elphaba/Frex conversation. They are so hard. Writing Frex is the worst.**


	33. Chapter 33

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. Here you go, the Elphaba/Frex chapter so many of you having been looking forward to.**

**Chapter Thirty- Three**

"You're procrastinating."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "I'm not! I'm just waiting for the right time."

Nessa rolled her eyes right back at her sister. It had been two days and Elphaba had still not spoken with Frex.

Galinda sighed. "Elphie, you have your last potion dose in four days and then we all know you'll be in _no _condition to have this kind of discussion."

"Have you two always nagged this much?" Elphaba muttered.

"No, but we're not going to let you mope around anymore, remember?" Nessa countered with a faint smirk.

Elphaba made a face. She was feeling better the past few days, but still not her old self. But she couldn't deny it had helped to tell the others what she had been thinking about the past few days and to be forced to go to class and get out of bed.

The three of them were sitting in _The Wilted Rose, _after Galinda dragged the sisters out for coffee.

"I promise I'll get to it, okay? I just have other stuff going on right now."

Galinda and Nessa looked sceptical, but let the subject drop.

"You've got nothing going on tomorrow, right?"

Elphaba looked up as Fiyero slid into the empty seat next to her.

"What's tomorrow?" she asked blankly.

"Our anniversary!"

She screwed her nose up in thought. "Um... which anniversary would that be again?"

"The October one. It's been eighteen months," he reminded her.

"Ooh, eighteen months! How exciting!" Galinda squealed.

"If you count from June it's only been nine months," Elphaba pointed out.

"Fae, you're killing the love," Fiyero complained and she rolled her eyes.

"Yero, I'm not sure this two anniversary thing is working out. It's just confusifying," Elphaba told him.

"What do you mean? It's totally working!" Fiyero protested.

"It's confusifying. Can't we just pick one? We agreed to try two and see how it worked, and I don't think it's working."

"'You' isn't 'we'," Fiyero retorted and Elphaba sighed.

"_Yero."_

Nessa spoke up to defend her sister. "Fiyero, if someone asks you how long you two have been together, what do you say?"

Fiyero thought about it. "I say that... it depends on when you count from. OK, it's confusifying," he relented.

"But I still feel like we should commemorate October."

"And we can," Elphaba reassured him. "I'm not saying we can't. I'm just saying we shouldn't treat it as an anniversary. OK?"

"Fine," he pouted. "But can we have this last one? Eighteen months from when we met is still impressive, _I _think."

Elphaba gave a small smile. "Fine. This last one. After this, we just go from June, deal?"

"Deal. Have you spoken to your father yet?"

Elphaba groaned. "No, I haven't. I'll do it tomorrow, okay?"

Fiyero regarded her warily. "Are you doing it tomorrow so that you can use our date as an excuse to leave?"

Elphaba tilted her head. "Actually, I hadn't thought of that, but I will now."

Elphaba kept insisting she wasn't nervous about approaching this heavy a discussion with her father, and to be honest, she truly didn't feel nervous. But she wanted to be prepared and spent half an hour making notes so that she knew exactly what she wanted.

The other thing she did was to sent her father a note, which was a challenge in itself.

"How does this sound?" she asked Galinda, reading what she had written. "'_Dear Father, if it's convenient with you, could I come by your rooms tomorrow afternoon? There's something important I need to discuss with you. Elphaba.'"_

Galinda frowned. "That's very vague."

"Well, what am I supposed to say?" Elphaba protested tiredly. "This is the whole point of going to see him, because this is nothing to discuss in a _letter._"

"True," Galinda admitted.

Elphaba sent the message into town with a messenger, and a reply arrived not even an hour later. When it came, Elphaba was dealing with yet another nosebleed so she gave Galinda permission to open it.

"_Elphaba," _the blonde read aloud from her position outside the bathroom door, speaking loud enough so that Elphaba could hear it.

"_I have a lunch meeting tomorrow. However, I shall expect you at two o'clock in the afternoon. I trust Fiyero or Boq will be escorting you into town from campus. Your Father. _OK, I see where you get it from now. Who can he possibly have a meeting with?"

"The Minister for Health is here from Munchkinland, apparently. That's what Nessa said anyway. She thinks Father is doing heaps to try and improve the Munchkinland health system... get it up to code with the Emerald City or the Gilikinese systems."

"That makes sense considering everything your family's been through. I'm surprised he hasn't done it before with Nessa's condition," Galinda said wisely.

"He's tried. The Health Minister isn't the easiest of people to work with. I guess the news about me staying here for treatment is being passed off as bad publicity. Uh, Galinda?"

Galinda frowned at the odd note in her voice. "Yeah?"

The bathroom door opened and Elphaba emerged, her face pale and with a blood stained towel on her face.

"This nosebleed isn't stopping."

Galinda froze for a moment, and then hastily grabbed their coats.

"OK. We're going to the nurse. Let's go."

Elphaba didn't protest, and kept the towel firmly on her face with pressure as Galinda led her to the medical centre.

"Excuse me?" Galinda called urgently as they entered.

Nurse Rapp emerged from her office, took one look at Elphaba and quickly sat her down.

"How long has it been bleeding?"

"Nearly ten minutes, I think," Elphaba replied. "They don't usually last this long."

The nurse carefully peeled back the towel, saw the blood and handed Elphaba a fresh towel to replace the blood-stained one.

"Ok, I'm going to send for an ambulance."

Elphaba's head whipped around. "_What?!"_

"Elphaba, that's a lot of blood. You're going to need platelets," Nurse Rapp said gently. "I'm sending for an ambulance."

Elphaba looked to Galinda, who nodded immediately. "Going to find the others. I'm on it. Do I send for your father?"

Elphaba hesitated. "No. If I just need platelets, it's fine."

Galinda nodded and disappeared, leaving Elphaba with the nurse.

"I haven't been seeing you as much as I thought," Nurse Rapp said once she'd sent for the ambulance. "That's a good thing," she added, seeing the expression on Elphaba's face.

"Well, this is only my second emergency trip to hospital, so that's a good sign, right?"

"Right," the nurse agreed.

Galinda and the others hadn't returned by the time the ambulance arrived, but Elphaba knew they would just meet her at the hospital. She was nervous, but trying to remain calm. Nurse Rapp seemed sure that all she would need was a blood transfusion and to stop the bleeding, but just the amount of blood was nerve-wracking.

When her friends finally arrived at the hospital, the staff in the ER had stopped the bleeding and had admitted her and were giving her a transfusion. Elphaba was calm, the others- not so much.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Fiyero asked, immediately going to her side and taking her hand.

"I'm fine," she tried to calm him. "They're not even going to keep me in overnight. They just want to let the transfusion finish and observe me for a few hours."

"Thank Oz," Nessa breathed in relief. "Having Galinda run up to you saying that you can't get your nose to stop bleeding and you're going to hospital... that's _not _something that I'd say is enjoyable."

"You said that, Glin?" Elphaba asked in disbelief.

"I was a bit panicked!" Galinda defended herself. "Besides, it's _true. _I didn't lie or exaggerate anything."

That was true, Elphaba had to admit.

"You didn't tell Father, did you?" she asked her sister.

"No," Nessa replied. "Why?"

"I just didn't think it's that important. I mean, if I'm only going to be here for a few hours..."

Nessa nodded. "Ok. But you are going to tell him, aren't you? I mean, he should still know."

"I'm seeing him tomorrow. I'll tell him what happened," Elphaba agreed reluctantly.

Dr Crowe came and found them just as the nurse was doing another blood count to check Elphaba's platelet level.

"Good afternoon, everyone. Elphaba, how are we doing?"

"I'm fine. I'm just really looking forward to getting out of here," she responded.

"Well, we'll work on that as fast as we can," he reassured her. "And you did the right thing today by coming in."

Elphaba managed a smile. "Call me crazy, but I tend to see copious amounts of blood pouring from my nose as abnormal."

Dr Crowe actually laughed. "And this is why you're my favourite patient, Elphaba."

He looked over the others. "Would you give us a moment?"

"Sure," Boq agreed. "We'll go get coffee."

"Yeah, because I haven't had any hospital coffee in over a week. I was beginning to miss it," Fiyero said sarcastically.

"We'll be back," Galinda promised Elphaba as they left.

Once they were gone, Dr Crowe sat down and looked at Elphaba closely.

"How are you doing?"

"Fine," Elphaba replied immediately.

Dr Crowe looked doubtful. "Michi tells me she had a visit from your sister. Apparently you're friends have been worried about your emotional state lately."

Elphaba hadn't known that, and tried not to show her surprise.

"I'm ok. I've had a bit of a hard time the past few days," she admitted. "Been thinking about the end of the treatment... and what comes after that. You know?"

Dr Crowe nodded comfortingly. "I know. It's not uncommon," he reassured her gently. "But I think your chances are very good."

"Didn't you think that _before _the splenectomy too?"

"Touché," he smiled. "But honestly, Elphaba-"

"I'm doing better," she cut him off quickly. "Really, I am. I'm just... trying not to think about it now."

Dr Crowe nodded. "Alright. But you know that Michi and I are here to talk to any time. About anything."

Elphaba nodded and then hesitated.

"I'm meeting with my father tomorrow to discuss certain things..."

She told him about what had happened the other day in Philosophy and the following discussion.

"Do you think that Nessa's right? That I shouldn't worry about it unless I have to?"

Dr Crowe paused thoughtfully. "Well... whilst I don't think we're quite at that point yet; I always think it's a good idea for your family to know how you feel about those types of things. Organ donation, life support. Just in case. But that's not specific to anyone fighting cancer. So it can't hurt. And if you or your father have any questions, I'm happy to help."

"Thank you," Elphaba said sincerely.

Her blood count returned, not exactly high, but enough of a normal level to reassure the hospital enough to release her. That, and her talk with Dr Crowe had helped Elphaba's spirits greatly, which lasted through the night and all the way into town the next day.

Fiyero skipped class to go with her, although he wouldn't actually be there whilst Elphaba and Frex talked. Normally, Elphaba would have made a comment about him skipping class, but today she let it slide.

"So, I'll meet you in the cafe across the street when you're done," he told her when they reached where Frex was staying.

Elphaba nodded. "OK. It shouldn't be that long... hopefully."

He kissed her lightly. "Take your time. And good luck."

Her father's room was only one floor up, which Elphaba was thankful for. It had no elevator and stairs weren't always her friends these days. She knocked on the door, and Frex opened it after only a moment.

"Elphaba. Come in," he invited her. "How are you?"

"Ok," Elphaba said automatically, and then remembered her promise to Nessa. "I had a small thing last night, but I'm ok."

He raised an eyebrow as she sat down. "A _thing?"_

Elphaba suddenly felt five years old again. "My nose wouldn't stop bleeding," she explained. "I had to get a transfusion."

Frex whitened. "Transfusion?!"

"It was nothing," she said hastily. "Really. They didn't even keep me overnight."

"You were at the hospital?"

"_Just _for a few hours. Really, it was no big deal or you would have known earlier."

Frex sat down opposite her, slowly. "Is that... that's not what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"No," Elphaba agreed.

She suddenly wasn't sure where to begin.

"Um..."

"You're not engaged, are you?" Frex suddenly said sharply.

Elphaba gaped at him. "_What?! No! _Why- why would you think that?"

Frex couldn't hide his relief. "Well, your note said you had something important to discuss with me. If it was something about your condition, I assume I would know. That was the only other possibility I could imagine."

Elphaba shook her head. "No, I'm not engaged."

"Good. Besides the fact you're _much _too young and still in school, I'd like to think the boy would at least have the common courtesy to ask me beforehand."

Elphaba let the 'that boy' bit slide. "I'm 22. Momma was my age when the two of you got married," she pointed out.

Frex ignored that. "What's so important Elphaba?"

"In my philosophy class the other day, we were talking about euthanasia."

Frex stilled, but said nothing.

"And afterwards, when I was talking to Nessa and my friends about it, she pointed out that it would be a good idea for you to know how... my views on... that type of things."

Frex was quiet for a long moment, looking at her strangely.

"Very well," he said finally. "Let's talk."

And somehow Elphaba and her father ended up having the first real conversation she could ever recall them having. He listened as she explained her views, and even asked questions about the specifics. They even talked briefly about the few thoughts Elphaba had thought about her funeral, although it was a subject that neither of them wanted to linger on. Elphaba certainly wasn't planning on it being any time soon, but she thought it couldn't hurt to mention it anyway.

It seemed to Elphaba as though her father was finally getting to know her. After an hour and a half, Elphaba rose to her feet.

"I should go. Galinda seems to think it takes two hours to get me ready for dinner," she explained.

"You're going to dinner?" Frex asked.

She nodded. "It's been eighteen months since Fiyero and I... met. Kind of. Long story. But anyway, he's taking me to dinner."

Frex nodded. "Elphaba?"

She turned at the door to look back at him. "Yes, Father?"

"You would tell me, wouldn't you? If something was to happen?"

Elphaba was surprised, and met his gaze solemnly. "Yes."

He nodded. "Very well. I'll see you later then."

She nodded. "OK. Thank you."

Elphaba headed down to meet Fiyero, still mulling everything over.

"How did it go?" he asked her.

She smiled. "He thought we were engaged."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "And you're smiling because... he was pleased with the idea?"

She laughed. "Actually, he said we were too young and he hoped that you'd at least ask his permission first."

Fiyero thought about that and shrugged. "From your father, I'm going to say he's coming around on the idea of us."

Elphaba laughed.

**AN. Yeah, I wasn't going to actually write that conversation. It was too hard and I would have just... yeah. So I found a way around it.**


	34. Chapter 34

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. Sorry guys, I didn't write the date. Because um... I don't have a reason. I just didn't write it. Sorry. **

**Chapter Thirty- Four**

Knowing what this meant to Elphaba and how nervous she was, the others rallied around her for her final potions session. They seemed intent to try and make it a positive experience and almost a celebration. Galinda even brought cake.

"Not for you, of course," she said hastily to Elphaba, who stared at her disbelievingly when she revealed it.

"Good, because I'm pretty sure me eating cake right now would ruin everyone else's appetite," Elphaba replied.

Frex declined cake, but the others all took a piece- even if Fiyero did warily ask Galinda if she had bought the cake or made it herself.

Galinda looked confused. "I bought it."

His expression cleared. "Oh, then yes please."

Elphaba noticed Fiyero checking the time, as he had been all morning.

"What's with you?" she asked as the nurse took blood to check her blood count, as per usual.

"Nothing," he said innocently, which she didn't buy in the slightest.

"I'm just eager for this to be over with?" he tried again, but she just continued to stare at him pointedly.

"I... um..."

"Knock, knock!"

They all looked to the doorway and saw Ibrahim and Kasmira standing in the doorway.

"Finally!" Fiyero exclaimed loudly, even as he rose to greet his parents. "I expected you guys ten minutes ago!"

Elphaba was completely stunned. "Hi! I- I didn't know you were coming back to town," she said, sounding confused even as she smiled welcomingly. "At least, I don't think I did," she added wondering if Fiyero had mentioned it and she'd forgotten. It wasn't uncommon lately.

"Surprise!" Fiyero grinned.

Elphaba still looked bewildered, so he explained again. "They wrote me two weeks ago, asking when your last session was. They wanted to come, so we thought it would be a nice surprise!"

She smiled. "It's a lovely surprise. Thank you for coming. You really didn't have to."

Kasmira hugged her tightly. "Of course we did."

She pulled back and looked her over closely, shaking her head sadly at how thin and gaunt she was since they had last seen her.

"How are you, Elphaba?" Ibrahim asked gently, squeezing her hand lightly.

"I'm doing ok, thank you," she smiled. Elphaba was so touched they had come all this way, she wasn't quite sure what to say.

"How long are you here for?"

"Three weeks," he replied. "We've got a conference in the Emerald City after that, so we thought we'd spend the time here rather than going back to the Vinkus in between."

Elphaba looked intrigued. "What's the conference on?"

Fiyero groaned before his parents could respond. "OK, let's not get started on politics, please? This is neither the time or the place."

Elphaba chuckled. "I'm pretty sure you'd say that no matter the time or the place."

"I look forward to the day you take over ruling the province, son," Ibrahim said dryly.

"I'll deal with it when I _have _to," Fiyero replied.

"Well, that's inspiring," Elphaba commented sarcastically and he made a face at her.

Dr Crowe didn't look surprised to see the room so full when he entered, which told Elphaba that this wasn't uncommon.

"Good morning all. How are we? Ready to get started?" he addressed Elphaba.

"I'm assuming my blood count is good to go?"

"Considering you had a transfusion two days ago, it's excellent. The nurse will be in to get the first potion hooked up in just a few minutes, alright?"

Elphaba nodded. "OK."

"Transfusion?" Kasmira asked in concern, as he left.

"Nosebleed, it was nothing huge," Elphaba waved it off.

"So what happens after this?" Ibrahim asked her. "Fiyero wasn't too clear in his letters."

Elphaba and Dr Crowe had already gone over this, so she explained readily.

"After this, they use a radiation spell to target the cancer cells. That gets done five days a week for five weeks. And then they do more tests to check and see what effect it's had on the cells. All the fun stuff."

As the nurse entered with the first potion, Elphaba addressed the others, specifically Fiyero's parents.

"Please don't feel obligated to stay and watch me throw up. It's not exactly a pleasant scene."

Kasmira smiled softly. "We did see you throw up last time we were here, Elphaba," she reminded her.

"I think I've achieved new levels of unpleasantness in vomiting in the past two months," Elphaba replied with a wry smile.

Ibrahim returned it. "We're tougher than we look. We can deal with it," he promised her.

Elphaba was always tense as the first potion began to enter her system, and it wasn't just because of the needle. It was because she knew what to expect and how her body would react. And call her crazy, but Elphaba didn't list chills, sweating and vomiting on her list of what counted as fun.

But the others had it down to a fine art by now, with blankets, ice and an empty basin ready to go as they were needed.

"Do you need anything, Fabala?" Nessa asked her.

Elphaba smiled weakly at her sister. "A distraction?"

"I could try and juggle?" Fiyero offered immediately and Elphaba laughed, recalling her first session.

"Don't tempt me, or I might take you up on that."

When she broke into a sweat and began to shiver, Fiyero spread a blanket over her, taking her hands in his and rubbing them gently to help with blood flow and warm them. But Elphaba was slightly surprised as it was Kasmira who took a damp cloth and gently dabbed at her forehead.

The small gesture brought a lump to Elphaba's throat, because it suddenly made her think of a very hazy memory. That of her mother taking care of her when she was sick as a very little girl. And it made her feel both affection towards Kasmira, and also a wave of longing for her own mother.

It only took fifteen minutes before Elphaba began throwing up, but because she had so little in her stomach, it was mostly dry retching, which was even more unpleasant if possible.

"Ice, Elphie?" Galinda asked gently.

Elphaba took it reluctantly, sucking on the cube to clean out her mouth of the disgusting taste.

She curled up in a ball on her side, cradling her stomach gently and closing her eyes.

"We could read something?" she heard Boq suggest. "Did anyone bring anything?"

There was the murmur of voices, and then she sensed someone sit themselves in the chair next to her bed. And then the next thing that happened made Elphaba's eyes fly open in shock and disbelief.

"There was once a wealthy merchant and his three daughters. Whilst his oldest two were vain, selfish and proud; the youngest was fair, innocent and the most beautiful, and was known as Beauty."

Elphaba was completely still. It was Frex sitting by her bed and reading to her. And the story he was reading was an old fairy tale that Melena used to read to her as a child. Not that she really remembered that, it was just another hazy memory. But because of that memory Elphaba had kept it close to her throughout her childhood.

When she was younger she had clung desperately to the element of the story, that the girl had fallen in love with the Beast despite his hideous appearance. And she suspected that was why her mother had always read it to her, to convince her that one day someone would fall in love with her despite her skin.

But the older she got, the more she had realised it was just a fairytale. But despite everything, she could never bring herself to let go of it. She had even read the story to Nessa repeatedly, even as she recognised the irony of herself as the Beast, whilst Nessa was more the Beauty type. Elphaba hadn't realised that her father was aware of it. She hadn't told anyone- not even Fiyero.

She felt Fiyero's hand slid into hers and grasp it tightly as Frex continued to read the story. He was just at the part where the Beast let the girl return to her family, Elphaba suddenly gagged and bolted upright, even as Fiyero thrust the basin under her chin. She was retching so violently, she felt as though all her insides were going to come up through her throat.

"Breathe, sweetheart. Just breathe," Kasmira said softly in her ear, suddenly appearing at her side and rubbing small circles on her back.

Elphaba clutched the arm supporting her, not knowing whose it was, gasping for air until the feeling subsided and her insides stopped revolting. Then she sagged backwards and found that it had been Fiyero holding her up.

"Should- should we get someone? A nurse? Dr Crowe?" she heard Galinda ask.

"Maybe they can give her something for the vomiting," Ibrahim replied.

"I'll go," Boq said quickly.

Elphaba continued to clutch Fiyero's arm as he and Kasmira together helped her lie back down and readjusted the blanket around her. She looked to the side and met her father's gaze.

"Can you keep going? Please?" she rasped, her voice hoarse.

Frex gave a small nod and continued the story as Elphaba closed her eyes again.

When Boq returned a few minutes later, it was with Dr Crowe right behind him, who carefully examined Elphaba.

"Alright, Elphaba. I'm going to get you something to help stop the vomiting, okay?"

"Do I have to swallow it? Because I'm not sure I can keep it down," she said honestly.

"I can give you an injection," he replied, knowing how she felt about needles.

"OK," was her only response which told the doctor exactly how bad she was feeling.

Dr Crowe disappeared for a moment and returned with a syringe, which he injected into her arm. Elphaba was so out of it, she didn't even flinch.

"It should start working in a few minutes," he told the others. "If there's anything else, just let me know."

The medicine did work, at least it stopped the dry retching.

When the third potion had finished, Dr Crowe returned to examine her once more.

"Hmm... I think I'd like to admit you overnight. Just for observation."

Elphaba's eyes widened, and she struggled weakly to sit up. "No!"

"Elphaba, I'd feel much better if you were here and we could keep an eye on you," Dr Crowe said gently.

"No, really. I feel much better. Can't I just go back to school? Please don't make me stay," she practically begged, her voice weak and to her complete mortification, tears in her eyes. She just couldn't help it. She was so tired and weak, and she really didn't want to be anywhere but her own bed right now.

Dr Crowe hesitated.

"How about it, doc?" Fiyero asked quietly.

"We can watch her like a _hawk,_" Galinda stressed. "And bring her back if anything happens. Like seriously, one of us will be watching her at _all _times. She won't breathe, blink or pee without one of us knowing about it."

"Um, that might be a bit overkill, Galinda," Boq muttered to the blonde, but she waved him away.

Frex rose to his feet. "Doctor, could we have a word in the hall please?"

Dr Crowe agreed, and followed Frex out of the room.

Elphaba groaned. "Great. I'll never get out of here."

"Father might surprise you, Elphaba," Nessa said quietly.

Her father and Dr Crowe were outside the room for about five minutes before they returned. Dr Crowe addressed Elphaba.

"Alright, Elphaba. I'd prefer for you to stay here, but your father has convinced me it might be best for you to go back to your room. So, I will agree to let you leave on one condition."

Elphaba looked at him expectantly, wondering what the condition would be.

"I'm going to send some more medicine and a note to Nurse Rapp on campus. If she is willing to do regular checks on you and administer the medication if required, you can leave."

"OK," Elphaba agreed immediately, although she would have agreed to anything right now.

Dr Crowe spoke to her gently. "I'm worried about the dry retching, Elphaba. It was quite severe. That hasn't happened any other time?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head faintly.

He gave her strict instructions to try and stay hydrated and to keep something in her stomach, and if she began to vomit blood, to come back immediately. They had to wait as the hospital contacted Nurse Rapp and explained the situation. The nurse agreed to Dr Crowe's plan, and so they agreed Elphaba could leave.

She was so weak that once they arrived back on campus, she couldn't even manage to walk up to her room. So Fiyero simply gently lifted her into his arms and carried her, cradling her in his arms like she was made of glass.

Galinda was still holding to her vow to Dr Crowe not to leave Elphaba alone for a moment.

"Does anyone want to go first?" she asked the others.

"I will," Kasmira offered.

"Mom, are you sure?" Fiyero asked her, touched by the offer.

Kasmira nodded firmly. "Absolutely. I'll sit with her, and someone can come take over in two hours."

"It's not necessary," Elphaba tried to interject tiredly, but was overruled.

Fiyero wasn't too thrilled about leaving Elphaba, but was glad his mother was there.

"Thanks, Mom. You're the best," he told her sincerely, pecking her cheek.

"Thank you for staying," Elphaba murmured quietly, as everyone else left.

Kasmira smiled warmly and settled into Elphaba's desk chair. "My pleasure. Try and get some sleep, sweetheart."

Elphaba obediently closed her eyes.

Thankfully, she did get better over the next few days, and there was no need for Nurse Rapp to give her any more injections. They all took turns sitting with Elphaba, and making sure she was hydrated as much as she could stomach.

"At least I'm finishing these treatments with a bang, right?" she half-joked to Galinda.

"Because Oz forbid something should be uneventful with you, right?" Galinda teased back.

"Well, I _am_ a commotion," Elphaba responded.

And Nessa had other things besides her sister's health on her mind, which thrilled Elphaba. Nessa had let slip to her father about Kai, and now Frex was insisting on meeting the young man who was "kind of" dating his youngest daughter.

"I don't think it's 'kind of' dating," Elphaba rolled her eyes when she and her sister were talking about it.

"Well, it hasn't been that long and we haven't really... made it official or anything," Nessa explained. "But I wish you were well enough for you and Fiyero to come too. Make it less awkward."

Elphaba smiled weakly. "Sorry, Ness."

"It's okay," Nessa replied hastily, reassuring her. "Really, it'll be fine."

Nessa seized the chance to discuss another topic she was excited about.

"You and Father seem to be getting along much better lately."

Elphaba thought about that, and nodded slowly. "I guess so. When we had that talk... I feel like it's the first time he really _saw _me... if that makes any sense."

Nessa smiled. "I'm still really happy for you Fabala."

Elphaba wasn't exactly ready to jump for joy yet. "We'll see what happens."

Nessa saw the time and grimaced. "Ok, I should go. We have reservations for six."

Elphaba had one last comfort for her nervous sister.

"Think about this, Nessa. Kai could be borderline _psychotic_, and Father will _still_ like him more than he likes Fiyero."

Nessa went to protest that Frex didn't hate Fiyero as much as they thought- at least anymore, and then realised she wasn't totally sure about that. And she couldn't help but laugh.

"Thanks, Fabala," she said, suddenly feeling a lot better.

"Any time," Elphaba smiled.

**AN. Yeah, the Frex/fairytale thing came out of nowhere. I just suddenly had the idea, found a fairytale and went with it.**


	35. Chapter 35

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. Yes, Frex did something nice for Elphaba. Now don't you all feel silly for being suspicious for all these chapters? I mean, he's not suddenly perfect or Father of the Year, but it's a big step forward. **

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

Elphaba looked up from the papers in her hand as there came a knock on her door.

"It's open," she called and Fiyero stuck his head in.

"Hey. Is anyone else here?"

"No, I'm alone. For once."

At her tone, Fiyero grimaced guiltily. "Sorry. I'll go."

Elphaba shook her head hastily, dropping the papers and holding out her hands to him. "No! Stay!"

"Are you sure, Fae?"

"Get over here, Tiggular," she ordered with a small smile.

Fiyero didn't waste a moment, slipping into the room and climbing over her to lie next to her on the bed, planting a soft kiss on her lips.

"Hi."

"Hi," she replied softly, moving into his embrace.

Fiyero cradled her gently, resting his chin in the crook of her neck.

"How are you doing, Fae?" he whispered.

"Mmm... ok."

"What are you reading?"

Elphaba picked up the abandoned papers with a small sigh. "Just re-reading all the information I have on the radiation spell."

Fiyero knew that she'd already read that information about a million times. "Why?"

She gave a small shrug. "I don't know... it's just more side-effects, more destruction of my immune system, another attack on the cancer that we don't even know for sure will work."

"That pessimism is a really attractive quality," Fiyero teased and she gently elbowed him.

"Shut up. What you call pessimism, I call realism."

"Try optimism," he murmured in her ear, kissing the shell of her ear.

Elphaba smiled despite herself.

"How's your father doing?"

"Fine, I think. He _likes _Kai," she taunted him with a smirk.

"You are just hilarious," he grumbled, tickling her lightly and making her laugh.

She rolled over to face him. "I think he really is coming around. To both of us," she chuckled.

"I'm still in shock over that fairytale thing," Fiyero said honestly.

"Me too," she agreed. "I didn't even know he knew Momma used to read it to me."

She gave a small smile that seemed kind of sad to Fiyero. "I guess there may have been a time when I was more than just the thing that ruined our family. It's kind of weird to think about."

Fiyero kissed her lightly.

Dr Crowe had met with Elphaba and Frex to talk with them about how the radiation spell would work over the next five weeks. He had introduced them to another doctor, Dr Askew, who would be performing the radiation spell. Elphaba was surprised to find she knew the name- he was Madame Morrible's former prize Sorcery student, and the Headshizstress referred to him often in class.

So, for five days a week, Elphaba would go to the hospital and meet with the two doctors. Dr Askew would perform the radiation spell, which helped illuminate the cancerous areas and guide the radiation to those spots. Dr Askew explained that this helped try and limit the damage to healthy cells whilst working on destroying the bad cells.

They were to begin on Monday morning, just three days from now and Elphaba was nervous, although not as nervous as she had been about the potions.

And then of course, the end of those five weeks would be followed once again by all the tests Elphaba had now endured twice, so that Dr Crowe could determine what- _if any_, he made sure to stress- further treatment was needed.

Elphaba was beginning to feel good again, and although she knew there would be side effects from the spell, she wasn't sure if they would be better or worse than how she used to feel after the potions.

The good side was that even though the spell was cast more often than she had taken the potions, it took less time. Dr Crowe had told her that it should only take about an hour per day, maybe less.

"I'm sure you know by now Elphaba, that most of the time around procedures is waiting," he had said with a small smile, which Elphaba did know all too well.

Everyone seemed a lot more relaxed about the spell than the potions, including Elphaba herself. And after the first day, she realised that the process was a lot less nerve wracking. The spell didn't hurt, and whilst it made her extremely tired and made her skin itch, she felt so much better than she did after the potions.

Ibrahim and Kasmira were due to head to the Emerald City at the end of the week for their conference, so they were making the most of their time with both Fiyero and Elphaba.

"Are you planning to stop back on the way home or just go straight back to the Vinkus?" Elphaba asked Kasmira on Thursday.

Kasmira had asked if she could go with Elphaba to the hospital and have tea afterwards, and Elphaba has agreed.

"I think we're going to see how it goes," Kasmira said thoughtfully. "But I think we are hoping to come back, even if it's just for a few days."

Elphaba smiled. "Well, I hope so. I like seeing you both," she said, feeling a bit shy.

Kasmira returned the smile warmly. "We both very much like seeing you too, Elphaba."

"Maybe one day you'll be able to see me without a hospital being involved."

Kasmira laughed lightly.

By the time they finished tea and Elphaba returned to Shiz, she was exhausted and happily crawled into bed.

"How was it?" Galinda asked her, eager for any excuse to procrastinate completing her homework.

"It was good," Elphaba answered simply.

"It's nice that you two get along so well. My grandmother- Popsicle's mom- she kind of hates my mother, which is awkward. Momsie always says that's important to make sure you get a good mother-in-law."

"She's not my mother-in-law, Galinda," Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Not yet. She will be one day," Galinda pointed out and Elphaba blushed, which Galinda took as a sign of agreement.

Ibrahim and Kasmira left for the Emerald City on Saturday morning. Kasmira hugged Elphaba tightly once she had bid Fiyero goodbye.

"We'll try and stop back on our way home," she promised Elphaba. "Is there anything you'd like from the Emerald City?"

Elphaba smiled dryly. "The best thing I saw there was that everyone else wasn't staring at me. And I don't think you can bring me back that. But thank you, anyway."

"Do I get a present?" Fiyero asked his mother brightly.

Kasmira laughed. "I'll see what I can do, Yero."

Ibrahim hugged Elphaba too, which took her a little by surprise.

"Take care of yourself, Elphaba."

"I'll do my best," she agreed.

As the royal carriage pulled away a few minutes later, Fiyero turned to the others.

"So, what do you want to do this weekend?"

"I'm going to the _OzDust _tonight with the girls," Galinda replied. "Does anyone want to come?"

"OK, I'm feeling better, but not _that _much better," Elphaba said laughingly.

Fiyero wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Quiet night in?"

She beamed up at him. "Sounds perfect."

A 'quiet night in' ended up being Elphaba falling asleep on Fiyero's shoulder as they sat in his suite. He couldn't bear to wake her, but after a few hours he figured he should. He knew she'd prefer her own room.

"Good thing I'm not the kind of guy to take this personally," he muttered as he gently shook her awake.

"Fae? Fae, honey, wake up."

Elphaba opened her eyes blearily, appearing very reluctant to stay awake.

"Fae, it's late. We should get you back to your room, hmm?"

Elphaba made a noise and simply closed her eyes again.

"Elphaba, come on," Fiyero urged. "If your father goes looking for you and you're not here, we'll both be dead... mostly me."

Elphaba didn't stir, and Fiyero sighed.

"Alright. It's a good thing you don't weigh much," he said to her, as he lifted her into his arms.

He carried her back to her own dorm room, and Elphaba didn't stir once. Galinda wasn't there, so he supposed she was still at the _OzDust. _So he simply tucked her into bed and left her room key on her nightstand. Studying her as she slept, Fiyero smiled softly. She looked so young and peaceful when she was asleep, and it was such a sweet picture- although Elphaba would have been furious if he told her that.

He caught himself just standing there and watching her for a moment, imagining getting to wake up to this sight every morning. It wasn't a bad image at all, he thought with a smile. As a matter of fact, he could think of nothing better.

Shaking himself out of his stupor, Fiyero kissed her forehead gently and left the room, thinking he might go find Boq and see what his friend was doing.

The next day, Elphaba felt awful when she learned what had happened.

"I'm sorry," she apologised guiltily.

Fiyero just laughed and kissed her. "Fae, it's fine. I know it's nothing personal- at least I hope not," he teased.

"No!" Elphaba exclaimed in horror.

"Kidding, Fae," he reassured her. "Relax, will you?"

"I didn't mean to," she said.

"I know."

She smiled slightly. "Thank you for taking me back though."

"Well, that's just the kind of guy I am," Fiyero said modestly. "Plus, I didn't want your father to come looking for you and you not be there," he admitted.

"That sounds more like it," Elphaba chuckled, kissing him.

Elphaba went to bed early on Sunday night, complaining of a headache.

"Do you want some aspirin?" Galinda offered.

Elphaba shook her head. "No, it's fine. I'll just sleep it off."

"Is the light going to bug you? I need to finish this paper that's due tomorrow."

Elphaba resisted the urge to comment on the fact her friend had left her homework to the last minute.

"It's fine. Goodnight, Glin."

"Goodnight, Elphie."

Galinda didn't get to bed until one am by the time she finished her paper. As soon as she had written the last work, she immediately went to bed so she could get as much sleep as possible; and hoping she could sweet talk Elphaba into proofreading it for her in the morning before her class.

The next thing Galinda knew, she was being shaken awake.

"Galinda?"

Galinda groaned as she opened her eyes. She squinted at the time and saw that it was nearly four o'clock in the morning. "Elphie, the building had better be on fire. What's going on?"

"I- I think something's wrong," came Elphaba's quiet response and when Galinda turned on the light and looked at her friend, she sat bolt upright.

"Elphie, are you okay?"

Elphaba's face was pale and tense, and she flinched away from the light. "My head really hurts," she admitted.

Galinda jumped out of bed, and tentatively put a hand to Elphaba's forehead.

"Elphie, I think you have a temperature," Galinda said in concern. "Do we have a thermometer?"

"Bathroom."

Galinda got Elphaba back into bed before taking her temperature.

"99.4. What's normal?"

"98.6," Elphaba answered faintly.

Galinda bit her lip, not sure what to do. "OK... um..."

She hesitated, looking at Elphaba anxiously. Then she took a deep breath and made a decision.

"OK, I'm going to get you some more aspirin and a damp cloth for your head. And if you're no better or worse in a few hours, I'm taking you to the hospital. Got it?"

Elphaba agreed wordlessly.

Sleep forgotten, Galinda sat next to Elphaba's bed and watched her closely for the next few hours. Fiyero always came by around seven to see if Elphaba was going to be feeling up to breakfast and class that day, so her plan was to consult him then on what to do. Elphaba dozed fitfully and Galinda let her sleep, only disturbing her to change the cloth on her head and take her temperature.

When Fiyero knocked at the door just after seven am, Galinda flung open the door and practically dragged him inside.

"I think Elphie needs to go to the hospital."

Fiyero's heart leapt into his throat. "What? Why?" he asked sharply.

Galinda fearfully explained in a hushed voice. "She woke me up at four saying that her head hurt. I gave her aspirin and took her temperature, it was 99.4 degrees. I took it again ten minutes ago and it's 101. With her immune system..."

Fiyero didn't need to be told twice. "You go get a carriage, I'll carry her down and meet you out the front of the building."

Galinda made to move towards the door and then looked down at herself.

"Um, Fiyero? I'm not exactly dressed here."

Fiyero just noticed her robe and slippers. "Right. Change of plans."

He went and got a carriage as Galinda hastily got dressed; and then Fiyero carried Elphaba down as Galinda ran over to find Boq and Nessa in the cafeteria.

Half an hour later found them once again sitting in the waiting room, restlessly waiting for Dr Crowe to come find them and find out what was going on. Elphaba had been admitted immediately, and the nurse had promised to let them know what was going on as soon as possible. Nessa had sent a message to her father, but Frex was yet to arrive.

Galinda was panicked by how quickly the hospital staff had acted upon their arrival, and fearful it meant something bad.

"Should I have brought her in straight away?" she asked the others anxiously.

"For a headache and a temperature of less than a degree?" Boq replied sceptically. "Galinda, come on."

"Well, they seem pretty worried!" Galinda defended herself.

"It's probably just because of her immune system," Fiyero reassured her. "They're probably just being careful."

Frex finally arrived ten minutes later, and after Galinda told him what had happened, he disappeared in search of Elphaba and the doctor and didn't return.

"Where _is _someone? Anyone? Why do they _always _do this?!" Nessa complained.

"They may as well call it a 'torture room' instead of a 'waiting room'," Fiyero muttered in agreement.

At last, just as Fiyero was about to play his "I'm the prince of the Vinkus" card and demand some answers, Frex returned with Dr Crowe.

"Is Elphaba okay?" Galinda asked, looking between them anxiously.

"She appears to have an infection," Dr Crowe told them. "We're hoping we've caught it early enough to stop it from getting too serious. We're still running tests to determine the specific infection."

"But she's going to be okay though, right?" Fiyero asked. "Can we see her?"

"We've given her something to help her sleep right now. Right now, we're working on figuring out what infection it is that she has, and we'll go from there, alright?"

"So... we can't even see her?" Nessa asked, looking upset.

"Not right now, Nessa," Dr Crowe said gently. "I'm sorry. But I promise you, we're working on getting the tests done as soon as possible, so we can help get Elphaba well."

He excused himself and left. Fiyero looked to the others.

"So more waiting," he said dully.

Galinda returned to school briefly to hand in her paper and to speak with Madame Morrible, but other than that they all remained at the hospital, waiting for news.

"You'd think they'd have some more than old issues of _OzBeat _magazine for those people in this room waiting," Boq commented at one point, looking around the room in boredom.

"Like what?" Fiyero asked him.

"I didn't get _that_ far," Boq shrugged.

It was sometime that afternoon before they got anymore news. Dr Crowe returned and sat down with them, an action which made Fiyero's stomach clench apprehensively.

"Do you know what it is? The infection?"

"Yes," Dr Crowe nodded. "Elphaba has something called encephalitis. That means her immune system is treating healthy brain cells as foreign organisms that need to be destroyed, and attacking them."

"Her- her _brain _cells?" Nessa repeated faintly.

"Wait, why? Why are they doing that?" Boq asked.

"We don't know," the doctor answered honestly.

"But how do you treat it? Is it serious?" Fiyero demanded.

"It can be. We've already started treatment, and hopefully we've caught it early enough to prevent any complications."

"Could... could she die from this?" Galinda asked in a small voice.

"It's very unlikely," Dr Crowe said gently.

"But it is possible," Fiyero said flatly.

Dr Crowe didn't answer.

"Can we see her yet?" Frex asked him.

Dr Crowe nodded. "You can, but only briefly. Don't be alarmed if she appears drowsy or confused, it's a symptom of the infection."

"But you're going to fix that, right?" Nessa questioned.

Dr Crowe looked genuinely sorry. "Nessarose, unfortunately, there's not a medicine for everything. Or a potion or a spell. We're doing everything we can, but it's not as simple as just getting rid of the infection."

Nessa nodded, but Fiyero could tell she didn't really understand. None of them did.

Dr Crowe led them to Elphaba's room, and left them alone in privacy. Galinda carefully placed her hand on Elphaba's forehead, and then looked at Fiyero sadly.

"I think she's hotter than she was this morning."

Fiyero took Elphaba's limp hand, and noted even her hand was burning hot.

"Fae?"

Elphaba's eyes opened slightly and it took her a moment to focus and recognise Fiyero's face.

"You're going to be okay," he told her, but he wasn't sure if she heard him or not as her eyes closed again.

"Why is the room so dark?" Boq wondered.

Fiyero noticed for the first time that the shades were drawn and the lights were off.

"She had trouble with the lights this morning," Galinda informed him. "Like they were hurting her eyes. I guess... it's another symptom."

Nessa looked up at her Frex.

"Elphaba will be okay. Won't she, Father?"

The others all looked to Frex to see what his answer would be. Frex hesitated, and then squeezed Nessa's shoulder comfortingly.

"Dr Crowe is an excellent doctor and he's doing everything he can, Nessa."

It wasn't exactly the ray of hope they'd been hoping for.

It didn't occur until the next morning for Fiyero to contact his parents in the Emerald City and update them on Elphaba's condition. And he was pleased and not surprised when they arrived at the hospital late that afternoon. He knew they must have left as soon as they got his message.

"How is she?" Ibrahim asked, as Kasmira hugged Fiyero tightly before immediately going to embrace and comfort his friends.

"They're still trying to break her fever," Fiyero told his father quietly. "It's hovering somewhere around 103."

"There's no other news?"

"They um... they think she has secondary encephalitis. That she had some other infection that she didn't show symptoms of and it got to her brain," Fiyero explained.

Kasmira looked over at Elphaba on the bed, looking almost teary.

"Is she aware of what's going on?"

Feeling helpless Fiyero shrugged. "Sometimes she'll recognise us, and sometimes she's so out of it..."

Nessa's eyes were red from crying. "She keeps asking for our mother."

Kasmira was visibly stunned by that, and didn't know what to say. And Nessa didn't blame her. The first time Frex had heard it, Elphaba's weak murmur of "Momma", he had gone completely white and left the room. He didn't come back for fifteen minutes.

Ibrahim looked at them all closely.

"Have any of you left the hospital?" he asked knowingly.

"They won't let any of us stay outside of visiting hours," Fiyero replied unhappily.

"We were taking it in turns for a little while," Boq offered. "But... that didn't last long."

"We all just want to be here," Galinda added unnecessarily.

Ibrahim and Kasmira could understand that.

Fiyero's parents eventually convinced them all to go down to the hospital cafeteria and get some dinner. But when it was unanimously decided that hospital food was awful, the following evening Ibrahim and Frex went and got dinner and they all moved to the waiting room to eat.

"I'm glad you guys came," Fiyero said to his father quietly, as they ate.

"We're glad you let us know," Ibrahim replied, just as quietly. "We like Elphaba very much, son. And we know how much you love her. We want to support you both."

Kasmira nodded in agreement, squeezing her son's hand. "She's part of our family now, Yero. Of course we came."

"Governor Thropp?" Galinda asked in a small voice. "What was Elphaba and Nessa's mother like?"

They all looked to Frex, who looked startled by the question. Even Nessa was waiting expectantly, wondering what her father would do. Frex never spoke about Melena. It had been Elphaba who had told Nessa all she could remember about their mother mostly, and Elphaba didn't remember too much, being so young at the time.

Fiyero didn't think Frex was going to answer, when suddenly he spoke.

"She was... very much like Elphaba," he said slowly. "She had Nessa's colouring... the same colour hair."

He smiled faintly at Nessa. "You girls both have her eyes. And her nose."

Nessa managed a faint smile in return.

"How was she like Fabala?" she asked softly, encouraging him to continue.

Frex sighed slightly, as though in thought.

"Elphaba has many of her mannerisms. Personality traits... that sort of thing."

Nessa wanted more information, and to be quite frankly, the Governor had all of them hanging on his every word.

But before he could continue, they were distracted by a lot of noise down the hall. Fiyero rose to his feet to investigate, and his blood ran cold.

"They're going into Fae's room."

He was off running in a moment, the others frantically hurrying after him, but when he reached Elphaba's room, an orderly prevented them from going inside.

"I'm sorry, you can't come in. You'll have to wait out here."

"But-" Fiyero began to protest, but was ignored and shoved out of the room.

Galinda was white and shaking. "That's not a good sign, is it?"

No one answered her.

It felt like an eternity before finally Dr Crowe emerged from behind the closed door. They were all waiting expectantly for news, a sign, any indication about whether this was good or... not so good news. But Dr Crowe drew Frex aside and spoke to him where the others couldn't overhear. They were talking for a long time, and the others were all congregated in the hallway.

"Let's go back to the waiting room," Ibrahim said finally. "Frex will find us once he's done."

"But-" Fiyero began to protest.

"We're blocking the hallway, son," Ibrahim cut him off firmly.

He guided them all back to the waiting room, and they sat there in silence, just waiting.

Finally, Frex reappeared in the waiting room and returned to the group.

"Father, what happened?" Nessa asked immediately.

"Elphaba had a seizure," Frex told them, his tone undiscernible.

Fiyero swore his heart stopped.

"And she's okay now?" Galinda asked in a tiny voice.

"She's in a coma."

Fiyero heard the words from very far away, like an echo.

"What- what do you mean?" he croaked out.

"She's in a coma," Frex repeated, which gave them no more information.

There was an odd sound, and it took a moment before Fiyero registered that it was Galinda, choking on a sob that she was trying to muffle into her hand.

Nessa was ashen and Boq kept blinking rapidly as he stared at Frex in shock.

Fiyero didn't have to ask if that was a bad sign, he knew it was. A coma. Elphaba was in a coma. From an _infection_. They had been through hell the past few months, focusing all their energy and worries into beating the cancer, to destroying these bad cells; and the thing that now done the most damage was an infection. An infection, that if her immune system hadn't been weakened by the potions and the radiation spells, intended to destroy the cancer cells; would not have left her in a coma right now.

The irony was enough to make Fiyero want to tear his hair out. Without warning, he jumped to his feet, seized the mug he'd been drinking coffee out of, and hurled it at the wall with a furious cry.

Galinda and Nessa jumped, and Boq just gaped between Fiyero and the shattered mug on the floor.

"Yero!" Kasmira exclaimed softly, rising to her feet immediately.

Fiyero dropped into a squat, his face buried in his hands. As his shoulders began to shake silently, Kasmira swept forward to comfort her son.

Galinda and Nessa were both crying quietly, and Boq was now staring at his knees, his jaw clenched and his eyes suspiciously wet. There was no sound in the room.

**AN. Let's keep the threats of violence to a minimum, please? **


	36. Chapter 36

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. So, the Australian production of Wicked starts in New Zealand this week, and they had their first preview last night. And who was there? Stephen Schwartz. And he said that our production is the best since the OBC! I'm so happy and proud and it makes me even more impatient to see it! (31 days!)**

**So basically all those times I rave about how amazing our cast is and that Jemma Rix is the greatest, it's true! :P **

**Chapter Thirty-Six**

"_Dear Fae,_

_It's been three days. _

_Dr Crowe says that there are some studies that suggest people in comas can hear, and are aware of what's going on around them. And I'm trying. I'm really trying to believe that and to talk to you... but it's not the same. And this has always been the way I've felt closest to you, and this way you can read them when you wake up._

_Because you __will__ wake up. You have to. _

_I can admit, I'm terrified, Fae. I don't think I've ever been this scared in my entire life. _

_Dr Askew and your father are both very good at saying vague statements that sound hopeful but don't actually tell us what's happening or what could happen. Dr Crowe is being more helpful, he knows us too well by now to get away with that kind of crap._

_According to Dr Crowe, the treatment (magic or medicine, I'm not really sure. It could be both) seems to be working on treating the infection. _

_But the truth of the matter, is that he's doing everything he can; but in the end... it's going to come down to you. So I am begging you, Fae, I need you to grab hold of every stubborn tendency you have in every ounce of you; and use it all to come back to me. _

_It's not just me though, it's all of us. _

_Nessa cries. A lot. She's really worried about you, and... none of us know how to help her. It's hard, because we're not exactly in a position to raise her hopes. You'll be happy to know my mom is taking care of her though, comforting her when she cries, getting her tea and she makes sure that we all eat. Every so often she kicks us out of the hospital for an hour. Which is not necessarily a good thing. You know Galinda's way of coping with everything is to shop. In three days, she's already bought six pairs of shoes, four dresses and two hats. _

_Galinda's been sleeping on the floor in Nessa's room. Yes, Galinda Upland. Sleeping on the floor (well, a mattress on the floor, but still). She says she can't bear to sleep in your dorm room alone at the moment. Given the circumstances, Morrible doesn't mind and I think Nessa is glad she doesn't have to be alone right now either._

_Boq... he's really quiet. I think he still kind of feels like he has to support us, you know? That he's still not as close to you as the rest of us and so he has to try and help us get through this. But I also think that being in this room for him scares him a little. Which I get, because it is scary. You're so still and so quiet and there's times when I just keep watching to see if you're breathing._

_As I mentioned earlier, my mom and dad are here. I wrote them the day after you were admitted to hospital, because I knew they'd want to know, and they turned up at the hospital the same day they got the letter. I'm really glad they're here. You're not going to mock me for that, are you? For admitting I'm glad my parents are here? Well, I am. And not just for me, or for you. But actually for your dad._

_Wow, that just looks weird on paper. "Your dad". He's always been "your father", this scary guy who doesn't know how to smile. And well, that hasn't changed but he has. _

_Fae, you probably won't believe me when you read this, but your father isn't doing any better than the rest of us. And I know it's complicated between the two of you, but seeing him now, I can almost imagine how he was when Nessa was born and your mother died. He's really worried, Fae. So I'm glad my parents are here, so my dad can talk to yours. Because if they weren't here, I would have no idea what to say to him. _

_He goes for a lot of walks. Around the hospital, I guess, I mean I don't follow him or anything. But he just disappears, and then comes back after a while and doesn't speak to anyone. _

_What else can I tell you? Um... your room is once again a florist, which I'm sure you'll love once you wake up. And you've had a bunch of visitors. Michi has been by, as has several others in your support group. Hollei is in remission, she just found out. She didn't want to say anything, because of the circumstances, but well... she was pretty damn happy. And I'm happy for her, really. But at the same time... Oz, I wish it was you. _

_I dream about that moment, you know? I'm sure you did too, although I know you'd never tell not even me if you did, because for someone who doesn't believe in fate or superstition, you're very weird about not speaking daydreams aloud in case you jinx it. But I love you for it. For all we know about each other, it's nice that there's still these little hidden mysteries for me to guess about. Because it makes the moments where you let me inside your head that much sweeter._

_I miss you, Fae. You're so close to me, but you're not there. Everything about you that makes you 'Elphaba', my Elphaba... everything about you that I love, is locked away somewhere, inside your own mind. _

_I realise this letter may be coming off a little creepy, like I'm spending all my time by your bedside staring at you. And ok, that may be true, but it's not creepy. _

_Do you remember that night when you fell asleep in my room and I carried you back to your room? When I put you into your bed, you looked so peaceful and beautiful. And I remember thinking... thinking that the idea of getting to wake up to that sight every morning for the rest of our lives was just... the best thing I could imagine. _

_Fae, I'm so in love with you that sometimes it makes me dizzy. And the idea that you might not wake up, and all those dreams might not happen is terrifying. _

_I told you once that you are the only girl I've ever loved. And that's as true now as it was then, and it'll be true for the next ten, twenty, fifty years. So you have to wake up, you have to come back to me; because I can't see a life beyond you. _

_I love you, Fae. _

_Fiyero."_

Fiyero finished writing his letter and looked up. There was no change. Boq was still in one corner working on an assignment, and Elphaba was still unconscious.

He sighed, putting down his pen and carefully folding up the letter. He was having trouble with the whole idea that Elphaba could still hear them, even in a coma. Nessa and Galinda didn't seem to have that problem, Galinda especially would sit by her best friend's bedside and chatter away, forcing herself to keep her voice bright and cheery as though that would make a difference.

But every time Fiyero had tried to sit down and talk to Elphaba, he got stuck. And then he had just started writing, and suddenly he was unstuck.

"Fiyero?"

Fiyero looked up and forced a smile for his mother. "Hey, Mom."

"What are you up to? Homework?"

He almost laughed. "No. Sorry, Mom. I was just writing. To Elphaba."

Kasmira looked at him quizzically and he shrugged. "I know Dr Crowe says that she can hear but... it doesn't feel like she's in there, Mom. I can't... I can't feel her."

Fiyero's voice broke slightly, and Kasmira hugged him tightly.

"She's in there, Yero. Just give her time," she said softly.

"It's always been so easy to write to her. Even when I didn't know who she was," Fiyero continued quietly. "Plus, I thought that this way, she can read them. When she wakes up, and find out what was going on."

His mother smiled gently. "I think that's a wonderful idea. And I'm sure Elphaba will love them."

Fiyero made sure to write to Elphaba every day as he sat by her bed side, and every night he would carefully store the letters in his desk drawer, ready to give to her when she woke up. His mother remained the only person he told what he was doing, although he was sure that she had confided that fact in his father.

None of the others bothered him about what he was doing, they were too wrapped up in their own minds to worry about what Fiyero was writing every day.

By this time it was April, and the weather was slowly beginning to warm.

"Don't you guys have to get home?" Fiyero asked his father when he realised that. "You know, run the province and all?"

"Nope," Ibrahim replied evenly. "Not for a family emergency."

Fiyero smiled faintly, feeling a wave of affection for his parents. He was quiet for a long moment, his thoughts back by Elphaba's side. Ibrahim had insisted he come get some fresh air, and father and son had found their way to the roof, where they could be guaranteed privacy.

"Dad? Have you ever thought about mom dying?"

Ibrahim was startled by the question, and gave it serious thought as he answered his son.

"I think everyone has those thoughts at one time or another," he said finally. "They're not pleasant thoughts, but I think they always come up. It's a scary idea, losing the person you love the most. I know when your grandmother died... I definishly thought about it, what it would be like to be in your grandfather's position. I'm sure your mother had the same thoughts."

"But you didn't think of it at my age? Before you and Mom were married?"

"No," Ibrahim admitted. "I was twenty-one when your mother and I were married. We were young and... we had the world at our feet, our lives were just beginning. We didn't think about anything other than the rest of our lives."

Fiyero nodded soberly. He had been ten when his grandmother died, and his grandfather had died two years later. Fiyero had never considered being in the same situation, not at his age.

"The rest of our lives..." he repeated quietly. "That's all I've been dreaming of for the past year. And I've been trying to hang on to those thoughts for four months now. And Elphaba could die before we even get to begin our life together."

"Son, you have to stay positive. Elphaba will pull through-" Ibrahim tried to reassure him.

"What if she doesn't?" Fiyero interrupted, unable to stop himself from saying his fear aloud. "What if she doesn't pull through? Or what if she survives this infection, but gets another? Or the cancer gets her? Or it comes back?"

He buried his face in his hands, trying to regain control of himself. His father waited in silence as Fiyero tried to regain control of himself. But his voice still shook slightly as he spoke again.

"You know, I don't think I've ever hated being a prince more than I do now."

Ibrahim was both stunned and confused. He knew being royal wasn't easy at times, and Fiyero didn't always love the responsibilities, expectations or the way of life that came along with that, but Fiyero rarely expressed hatred for their status in life.

"Fiyero?"

Fiyero looked up at him, his voice hollow. "If I lose Elphaba, I can't stop my life. Because I have all those responsibilities that comes with being royalty. The throne will need an heir, and all that _crap_. But Dad... Elphaba is the only girl I've ever loved, or will ever love. She's my life. She's _it_. And if she dies... I don't know what I'm going to do for the rest of my life."

The look of complete loss and agony on Fiyero's face and the unshed tears in his eyes broke Ibrahim's heart. "Son-"

"And don't tell me that one day I'd meet someone new and feel something again, because I won't." Fiyero knew that for sure. There was no alternative to a life with Elphaba.

Ibrahim squeezed his shoulder lightly, in some form of comfort, feeling helpless. "Fiyero, listen to me. I have no doubt of how much you love Elphaba, and everything that it will mean to you if Oz forbid, she doesn't make it. But what I was trying to say was that I don't think now is the time to worry about the next fifty years of your life. Concentrate on Elphaba, and getting her through this. Then you plan the rest of your life accordingly."

Fiyero looked at his father and nodded.

"OK," he said finally, his voice thick with tears.

Ibrahim made to get up, and then stopped.

"Yero, your mother and I have agreed that Elphaba is part of our family. We care for her very much, and we both know and are very much looking forward to the day that she will become our daughter-in-law. And you are our son, who we love and is very important to us, more than anything else. More than any responsibility. If this doesn't go the way we'd like to, and you want to spend the rest of your days as a grieving and alone bachelor... your mother and I will support that. As long as you take care of yourself physically and mentally. Meaning don't stop showering and grow a ten foot beard."

Despite everything, Fiyero cracked a smile. It was probably the image of himself with a ten foot beard. But once again, he felt a rush of affection and gratitude for his parents.

"Thanks, Dad. For everything."

Ibrahim returned the smile. "That's what fathers are for, right?"

"_Dearest Fae,_

_Today is day five. _

_I had a talk with my dad today. A really good talk. _

_And for the first time, I think I really saw how much I've changed. How much you've changed me. _

_I don't think that ten months ago (or nineteen, depending on where you count from. This is not an anniversary thing, it's a entirely different matter) my father and I could have had an adult conversation like this. He would have tried, but... well, I wouldn't have taken it seriously. _

_Or maybe it's that he wouldn't have taken me seriously. Which is fair, I don't think I deserved to be taken seriously until I fell in love with you. But it's actually nice to be almost on equal footing with my parents. More two adults than parent and child. _

_I wish I knew what to say to you, Fae. Every day, I'm sitting by your side and I wish I could find the words to speak to you. But every time I try, I just get stuck. The words get stuck in my brain, and just never find their way to my mouth. _

_And I wish I knew why, but I don't. I just know that it's not the same unless you can talk back to me. I know I'm not the wisest guy in the world, or the most intellectual, but I love our conversations, Fae. I always end up learning something new, about myself, or the world, or you. Why do you think I kept all your letters? Everything you say has this truth to it. Since I've known you, you've become my conscience, the guiding voice in my life._

_So maybe it's too hard to talk to you, when I keep waiting for you to talk back. But when I write to you... I can say anything. _

_I promise, Fae, I'll keep trying. As long as you keep trying to come back to me._

_I love you._

_Fiyero."_

**AN. When I was writing the scene with Fiyero and Ibrahim, I literally had to stop and call Kelly, because I was in tears. **


	37. Chapter 37

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. Thank you SO much to everyone who has reviewed, I am simply blown away. **

**To the Guest who made the comment about Jemma Rix- of course it's ok to say that! I say it too! LOL. **

**To the Guest who inquired about chapters- there are 4 chapters left (not counting this one that you're reading right now), and then an epilogue and a mini-sequel that is 4 chapters, both of which will be posted separately.**

**And yes, letters are back. It was such an important part of YGM, how could I not?**

**Also, today is my last day of term! 2 weeks holidays! WOO! It's going to be a crazy day, Year 12 graduation, Year 12 vs. staff volleyball game (in which I am NOT taking part, merely watching) and then a reward day for the kids in the afternoon. Phew!**

**Chapter Thirty- Seven**

A week after Elphaba had lapsed into the coma , Galinda was still avoiding the room she and Elphaba shared as much as possible. She was thankful that Nessa welcomed the company, and it said a lot that she was willing to spend her nights sleeping on a mattress on the floor in Horrible Morrible's compartment.

She had only returned to her room to dump her shopping and grab some fresh clothes. It was too horrendible for her to be there and see everything on Elphaba's side of the room, exactly the way had left it, as though she would be back any moment.

Until now, Galinda had been careful not to disturb anything. But when she had made a quick detour by the room to put away the three new pairs of shoes she had just bought- all on sale, thank you very much- she came to the startling revelation that she had officially run out of room in her closet.

"Damn," she muttered with a sigh.

Wondering what to do now, she looked around the room thoughtfully. When her eyes landed on Elphaba's closet, she hesitated.

"There's bound to be room in there," she muttered to herself. "Elphie only has like five pairs of shoes."

She felt kind of guilty, but nevertheless she opened the door, and peeked inside. Sure enough, aside from three shoeboxes piled atop of one another, a few pairs of shoes neatly stacked, and some dresses hung up, Elphaba's closet was empty.

Galinda only hesitated for a moment. "I can just store them here for now," she reasoned, giving in.

She grabbed the bags and hastily half-threw them into the closet. As she did so, she knocked the shoe boxes Elphaba had stored there, and they tumbled to the ground.

"Oz damn it," Galinda swore.

She hastily dropped to her knees to re-stack the boxes. And then she stopped in her tracks. Several envelopes had fallen out of one of the shoe boxes. But the thing that made her stop was that one of the envelopes had her name on it.

_Galinda._

It was Elphaba's handwriting, alright and for some reason the sight of it filled Galinda with fear. Why would Elphaba have written a letter to her, and hidden it? Picking up the others, her sense of dread grew. _Fiyero, Nessarose, Boq_ and _Father_. They were all there.

Her hands shaking, Galinda opened the envelope with her name on it and began to read.

_Dear Galinda,_

_Did I ever tell you that you were the first friend I've ever had? I guess that wouldn't surprise you, but it's true. And I want to thank you for that._

_It's funny now, to think back and remember how much I hated you when we first met. And I'm not going to lie, I really did hate you. You just turned up on the first day, walking in like you owned the place and the world revolved around you and we were all idiots if we didn't acknowledge that and bow down at your feet._

_Sorry. That came out a little harsher than I intended._

_You were the last person I ever expected to become friends with, but I'm so glad we did. And in the past four months alone, you have done so much to help me, and I don't really know how to thank you for that._

_Galinda, the circumstances under which you're reading this letter... that's assuming of course, that you've actually found this letter... my point is, that if I can't say this to you in person, I want you to know something. _

_Your friendship means so much to me, Glin and I've learned so much from you. Some things I could have lived without knowing (the difference between fall colours and summer colours for one), but nonetheless._

_And I want you to remember something. You are much more than people realise, Galinda Upland. You are the epitome of the pretty, popular, rich girl who cares more about the history of the polka dot than the history of Oz. But there is more to you than that. You are capable of doing more than planning parties and looking pretty. You're smart Galinda, and you can do anything you want to. You could change the world, do some good._

_The other thing is... I know the type of life that awaits you. The expectations of society and probably your parents that you marry right, marry someone worthy of your station in life. But make sure you marry for love. I know you love being admired and adored by the masses, but make sure you marry someone who truly loves you. Because you should be happy, and there is someone out there who will both worship you and respect you. Find someone who loves you for the person you are and not the image you present to the world._

_And you probably will marry someone who's handsome and rich and has some kind of title, and you'll spit out some adorable blonde children (if you do have a daughter, please take pity on the girl and dress her in other colours than pink). And if that will really make you happy, truly happy, I hope all that does happen for you. _

_But I'm going to ask one favour of you- Nessa. I've been there for her entire life, and I don't think she has what it takes to be an only child. She still might need a big sister, and I hope you wouldn't mind filling that role. Truth be told, you'll probably be a better sister than me. Nessa actually has an interest in fashion and boys and make up, and all those subjects that you're an expert on and that I know nothing about. _

_So remember, be brilliant and be loved, and most of all, be happy. And thank you for being my friend._

_Love from, Elphaba."_

Galinda was crying as she stared at the paper, her hands shaking.

"_The circumstances under which you're reading this letter."_

Elphaba didn't have to say it for Galinda to know what her friend had done. She had written a goodbye letter. In case she died. Which right now, was the very real possibility that they were all struggling to face.

Wiping her eyes, Galinda grabbed the other letters and her purse and left the room, leaving everything exactly where it was. She went straight back to the hospital, and up to Elphaba's room where the others were gathered.

Boq was the first one to notice the look on her face, and he immediately became concerned.

"Galinda? Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

It wasn't unusual for any of them to get upset these days, but there was something in Galinda's eyes that alarmed him.

Galinda burst into tears again as she dug the letters out of her purse.

"I found these... in El-Elphie's r-room. There's one for each of us," she choked out.

Fiyero stood up. "What are they?"

Galinda met his gaze tearily. "Goodbye letters."

Nessa wheeled forward. "Galinda, what are you talking about? Elphaba wouldn't-"

"Well, she did, Nessa. Because I read mine, and that's what it is."

"Wait, you read yours?" Fiyero said in disbelief. "Galinda, why would you-"

"It had my name on it!" Galinda protested. "That was all it had on it. Just my name. It didn't exactly say 'only open this if I'm dead'!"

She slapped a hand over her mouth in horror, as Fiyero flinched and Nessa went pale.

"I'm sorry," Galinda whispered. "I'm sorry, I just..."

Fiyero stepped forward and gently hugged her until she stopped crying.

"I think you should read yours," she said when she had regained control over herself.

Fiyero refused immediately. "No. Galinda... Fae wrote these for a reason. But she's not... she's still here. And I can't..."

"I know," she nodded. "But these letters... they're Elphaba. And I think we're all feeling a little... lost right now without her. I know that reading mine... no matter what happens, I am going to treasure this letter for the rest of my life. It might help you to-"

Fiyero shook his head. "Glin, no."

She pressed the envelope with his name into his hands.

"Just think about it," she said softly. "Nessa? Boq? Do you want to read yours?"

Nessa nodded immediately. She seemed close to tears, but when she took the envelope from Galinda, she gazed at it reverently.

Boq accepted his, and then Galinda turned back to Nessa awkwardly.

"There was one more. It's for your father."

Nessa was surprised. "Oh. Um... I'll give it to him. He's just stepped out with Fiyero's parents for a moment."

Galinda eagerly surrendered the letter to Nessa. She hadn't exactly been relishing the idea of having to explain this to Frex. She couldn't even imagine what Elphaba had written to her father.

Galinda didn't expect them all to open and read the letters right in the room, she knew it was an incredibly personal experience.

Fiyero seemed resolved to continue his denial about reading his letter. Once Galinda gave it to him, he reluctantly slipped it into his jacket pocket and ignored it. Nessa kept turning hers over in her hands, as though trying to work up the nerve to open it.

Ten minutes into what had become an incredibly awkward silence, Boq was the first to cave and leave the room, envelope in hand. He left the room and headed to the closest bathroom, where he could read the letter in private.

He wasn't sure how he felt about reading it. Galinda and Fiyero both had their points. Yes, Elphaba had written these letters to be read if something happened and although she was unconscious, she was still here and still alive. But at the same time... Boq really missed Elphaba, and he was curious as to what she had to say to him.

"_Dear Boq,_

_First of all, I have to say thank you. Over the past few months, you've really proven yourself as a great friend, and not just to me. _

_I guess we all have our roles to play within our social groups. And although I don't pretend to be an expert on recognising what those roles are, I know that you've felt uncertain about what role it is you play. And that makes sense, even though I could argue that we all feel that way at one point of another. _

_But I digress._

_Since all this start, you've fulfilled a role in our group that I'm not even sure you know that you're filling. You've become the pillar, the foundation. You know that the reason I asked you to come with me to the hospital that first day was because we weren't as close. Because it meant that I didn't have to hold you together while I digested the news. _

_So I want to say thank you for being such a good friend, and not just to me, but to all of us. _

_And I think that's your role, not only within our group, but in life. You do all these little things to support the people around you, which go relatively unnoticed. You never complain about that, you just accept the fact that you blend in to the crowd. And believe me, if I could switch places with you, I would in an instant. _

_And all these little things you do, that probably go unappreciated and you think no one ever sees... they matter. All the little things add up and they make a difference. Through all this, the one thing I keep fighting for is a sense of normalcy, and all the little things help that feel possible. _

_I know this is a lot to ask. But I am asking you, as my friend, not to stop doing those little things. And to help the others get through this. You're the closest to Nessa- geographically, anyway. I'm asking Galinda to keep an eye on her, but I would really appreciate if you could help. Although my father is warmer towards her than me, I don't think it'll be enough. And Fiyero... please just keep him on the right path. He hides behind that 'dancing through life' facade, and I can't have him hiding the wonderful person he is and the great King he will make one day from the rest of the world. I can't bear that thought._

_And I want you to know that we appreciate all those little things you do, even if we don't appear to notice them. You play a vital role in our group, Boq, and you will play a vital role in life. You have a great future ahead of you, that is made of more than being a 'mere Munchkin'._

_Thank you for everything._

_Elphaba."_

Fiyero was writing furiously when Boq returned to the room, his eyes red. Nessa and Galinda were both absent, and the room was silent. Boq sat down beside Fiyero silently, and handed him the letter.

Fiyero stilled, not looking up.

"Boq, I don't think I should-"

"Read it," Boq said flatly. "You have to read it."

Fiyero looked over and saw the strange expression on his face. Reluctantly, he put down his pen and paper and began to read.

Boq just sat there beside him and waited. He didn't look at Fiyero, he didn't think he wanted to see his face right now.

"She's right."

Boq was surprised. "About what?"

Fiyero carefully folded up the letter and handed it back to him.

"You're a great friend, Boq."

Boq didn't know what to say to that.

"Look, Fiyero. I know why you don't want to read your letter. And I get it, I really do. But I think you should read yours. Did you notice the date on the letter?"

Fiyero frowned, and looked again. He recognised the date immediately.

"That was when she was in the hospital. Her splenectomy."

Boq nodded. "Yeah. She wrote these to say everything she wasn't sure she'd get a change to say. Things she wanted us to know, about how she saw us. And I know you're struggling right now, which is why I think it's important that you read whatever it is she wanted to tell you."

Fiyero ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "You think I don't want to? Boq, I'm dying to know what she wrote. But if I read it... it's like I'm accepting the idea that she won't wake up. And I'm not ready to do that, I can't give up fighting for her just yet."

Boq could understand that, and nodded silently.

"You still can't talk to her, huh?" he asked, changing the subject.

"No. I'm trying, but..." Fiyero looked almost pained as he gazed at Elphaba's still form.

Boq didn't know how to help this time.

Meanwhile, Galinda and Nessa had disappeared to the small garden that was on the hospital grounds. Or rather, Nessa had disappeared and Galinda had gone searching for her. When she found her, Nessa's eyes were red and it was clear she had just been crying.

Galinda immediately hugged the younger girl tightly, trying to comfort her.

"You read your letter?"

Nessa nodded, sobbing quietly.

"She just... it's not fair. She's my family! Elphaba is my family. She's been there my whole life... I don't want her to die."

Galinda hugged her tighter, her eyes burning with tears. "Elphie could still pull through," she managed to say.

Nessa looked at her seriously. "Do you still believe that, Galinda?"

"I have my fingers, toes and everything else crossed," Galinda replied.

They both knew that wasn't an answer.

"If we lose her, everything's going to change."

"It will," Galinda agreed reluctantly.

"I'll be alone..."

"No you won't," Galinda promised her.

Nessa sniffled. "What makes you so sure?"

Galinda reached into her purse and removed her letter, which she handed to Nessa.

"Here. Read this."

Nessa was stunned. "Galinda, are you sure?"

Galinda nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. It's ok, I don't mind."

Nessa took it uncertainly, and then handed Galinda her own letter.

"You can read mine."

Galinda smiled slightly, and unfolded it as Nessa began to read.

"_Dear Nessa,_

_The first thing I want you to know is that I'm sorry. I'm sorry that your life is the way it is. I never told you this, but I always felt like it was my fault, the fact that you can't walk. Momma only ate the milk flowers to stop you from being born like me, and if I hadn't been born you could have had a normal life._

_And I hope you know that I always tried to be a good sister to you, to look after you and protect you. I don't know if I always succeeded, but I tried. _

_I also want you to know that I never resented the fact that Father loved you more than me. Because you deserve all the love. I wish you could have known Momma, and that she could have known you. I know I don't have the most memories of her, but what I do remember is that she was beautiful, and sweet and loving. You're more like her than you know, Nessie. _

_You're going to make a great Governor one day. You really care about Munchkinland and the Munchkins, and you've been preparing for this your whole life. I wish I could be there to see it. But if I was going to give you any advice, it would be this: Trust yourself. You have great judgement Nessa, but you don't always trust that judgement. Have confidence in yourself and your decisions._

_And that doesn't just apply to Governor. I know what happened with Boq hurt you. And I know it's ironic that this lecture should come from me of all people; but I want you to believe that you are worthy of love. And you will find someone one day who won't care that you can't walk, and who will look at you the way you wanted Boq to._

_I want you to have an amazing life, Nessa. I want you to get married, have children and be an amazing Governor. _

_And no matter what happens, you will have the others with you. I'm asking Galinda to look out for you, and Boq. Just because I want to make sure you're going to be okay- I'm still your big sister, after all._

_There's one last thing too. Under my pillow, in my dorm room, there's a small green bottle. If you can't find it, ask Galinda, she knows about it. It was Momma's. I found it when I was about five, and Father let me keep it. I don't think it was anything especially important or special to her, I mean it's just a green bottle. But I've always treasured it because it was hers, and it's all I've ever had of hers. _

_I probably should have shared it with you sooner, and I'm sorry for that. But if you're reading this, it means that it's yours now. As for Father... well, I'm not really sure what to say here. I am writing to him too, so I hope he gets it. _

_I love you, Nessa. I know that there have been so many times when you've been ashamed of me, and I'm sorry for that. I wish I could change that, and make you proud of me. And I'm sure there were times I acted more your mother than your sister and was too over-protective. But I'm not going to apologise for that, because that's been my job for so long._

_In the end, all I'm trying to say is that I love you. I couldn't have asked for a better sister, and I'm so proud of the young woman you've become and the amazing life you're going to lead._

_I'll always be your big sister,_

_Love Elphaba."_

"She thought I was ashamed of her," Nessa whispered sadly when she and Galinda had both finished reading.

"I wasn't. Never. I mean... there were times I was embarrassed, but I have _never _been ashamed of her. Why did I never tell her that?"

Galinda blinked back fresh tears as she squeezed Nessa's hand tightly.

"Nessa... Elphie knows that you love her."

"But I never told her that I was proud of her as my sister. And I should have. I mean, she practically raised me. She's run the household and... I should have told her."

"You still can," Galinda reassured her.

"I hope so," Nessa murmured tearfully.

Fiyero knew that they had all opened their letters. Well, except maybe for Frex. Nessa had given it to him, quietly explaining that it was from Elphaba. Frex had gone very quiet before simply saying "Oh" and taking it from her.

His own letter was burning a hole in Fiyero's pocket. But he was still torn. Finally, Nessa approached him.

"You haven't read yours?"

Fiyero sighed and shook his head. "No. I want to, but..."

She nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. I was torn too. But I'm really glad I did. Because Elphaba wrote things that I didn't know, that I wasn't expecting. And I'm glad now, because when she wakes up, I can talk to her about it. I can make sure that she knows how much I love her and how grateful I am that she's my sister. So I think you should read it."

Fiyero hadn't thought about that.

"Thanks, Nessa. That actually helps a lot," he admitted.

She smiled faintly. "You're welcome."

Fiyero left the room, looking for privacy. The sun was setting outside, which cast an eerie glow through the halls of the hospital. He ended up at the door to Michi's office, just as she was leaving.

"Fiyero! How's Elphaba?"

Fiyero shook his head. "No change."

Michi touched his arm sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

He forced a smile. "Thanks. Um... I'm looking for some privacy, just for a few minutes. Would you mind if-?"

She cut him off, guessing what he was asking. "Not at all. Just shut the door and turn off the lights when you leave, alright?"

Fiyero smiled again gratefully. "Thank you. I will."

She left, and he settled himself in an armchair, before finally preparing himself and opening the envelope. A lump immediately appeared in his throat to see Elphaba's handwriting, but he forced himself to keep going.

"_My dearest Yero,_

_Oz, I don't even know where to start. _

_I literally just keep staring at the paper, wondering what exactly I'm supposed to write. What am I supposed to say to you, the person I love most in the entire world. _

_I never used to dream about getting married or having children. Any of that. But now, the thought that we might not get that, that I might not get a life with you... it actually hurts. And it feels like I'm losing something that I've been waiting for my entire life._

_I'm really scared, Yero. I'm lying here in a hospital bed, knowing that tomorrow they're going to cut out an organ. And all I can think about is that maybe I can't beat this. I'm trying, I've been trying so hard to think positive and optimistic and all that stuff. Not for me, but for you. For all of you._

_I know I have so many people are looking to me to be strong and to fight. Nessa, you, Galinda, Boq. And I want to keep fighting for all of you, because I do want to have to say goodbye to any of you. But the truth is, that there are so many days where I'm hanging on by a thread and I'm just surviving. _

_I try my best to put on a brave face, but inside... I'm cold. I'm cold to my bones and my heart breaks. And the thing that gets me through is the thought of you. _

_So that's why I'm writing this. In case everything I have left isn't enough to beat this. In case there's a day where I forget to tell you that I love you. _

_Also, thank your parents for me. For accepting me from the very beginning, and for being so generous and supporting me through all of this. And tell them thank you for bringing such an amazing person into the world. You always talk about how I saved you and how much I've changed you. But what you don't realise Yero, is that you saved me. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I hope you know that. Do you remember when we were in the Emerald City? That night was so perfect. But what I don't think I said was what I should have said every day. Thank you for loving me. _

_Thank you for making me feel beautiful for the first time in my life, and for showing me what it means to be loved by someone and valued. You can make me smile when I'm having the worst day. There's times when you know what I'm thinking or feeling even before I do. And you made me dream of more. You made me believe that I was worth more, that I could be everything I'd been told my entire life that I never would be. A wife, a mother. That I was good, when everyone always told me that I was a mistake, a curse, an abomination. _

_And I want you to know that I love you more than I ever knew was possible. That we "loved with a love that was more than love", and I'm so grateful that I now know what lines like that mean. Because of you I know what it is to love someone and to be loved. I know that maybe soul mates do exist._

"_But our love it was stronger by far than the love  
Of those who were older than we-  
Of many far wiser than we-  
And neither the angels in heaven above,  
Nor the demons down under the sea,  
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul  
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee."_

_Do you remember that? If anything, I want you to remember that verse and what it means. _

_I want you to be happy, Yero. More than anything else, that's all I want for you in life. Whatever that means. _

_And I really believe that you're going to be a great king one day. And I'm not just saying that because I love you. I'm saying that because I have seen the person you are. You are kind and generous, and are much smarter than you pretend to be._

_So please be happy. Please find a way to be happy. Because I love you so much and I need to know that you're going to be okay. Because right now I'm envisioning the last stanza of 'Annabel Lee', and I can't have that for you. I can't have you sleeping every night by my tomb. Please Yero._

_I love you. And I always will._

_Forever yours,_

_Fae."_

Fiyero felt numb as he finished reading. He could see where she had written something and crossed it out, where her hand had shaken. Where there were odd blobs he suspected were tears.

He got to his feet and left Michi's office, heading down to Elphaba's room and opening the door.

"There you are!" Galinda exclaimed when she saw him enter. "Visiting hours are about to end."

"Can I just have a minute?" he asked them quietly.

Boq frowned slightly at his tone, but didn't comment on it.

"Sure. We'll meet you outside."

They all left, leaving Fiyero alone in the room with Elphaba.

Silently, he sat down in the seat next to her bed and took her hand in his, gently rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.

"Do you know what makes me happy, Fae?" he whispered to her. "_You_ make me happy. That's it. And if you don't wake up, there will be no more happy. Without you, I can't imagine ever being happy again."

Tears clouded his eyes as he tightened his grasp on her limp hand.

"So I need you to wake up, okay? I need you to give me a reason to get up every morning and keep on living, and I'm not being melodramatic. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do without you. So please... don't give up. _Please_, Fae. Just open your eyes and come back to me. Please..."

Fiyero lifted her hand and pressed his lips to the back of it hard, watching her closely as though she would magically open her eyes or something would happen. But nothing did. He was just left alone to cry silently and pray for her to open her eyes.


	38. Chapter 38

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. Once again,I am blown away by the response. I was so blown away I put together a little something the other night, which I will put up after I post this. I was originally saving for the end but... I'm impatient. So give me 10 minutes and then check my blog! **

**Chapter Thirty-Eight**

They had all wondered where Frex would go when he would disappear from Elphaba's room. Nessa didn't think he left the hospital, but they had never seen him around. As it turned out, it was Fiyero who stumbled upon the Governor's hiding place, and it was the last place he expected to find him.

It was the tenth day of Elphaba being in a coma, and Fiyero had just needed to be doing something. Dr Crowe had gently kicked them out so that they could do some more tests, and Fiyero had found he just couldn't sit still. He ended up just wandering around the hospital aimlessly.

He didn't even notice where he was going, until he abruptly rounded a corner and saw Frex standing there, looking through a window. Fiyero was confused at first, and then he looked up and saw a sign on the wall.

_Maternity._

Fiyero frowned. Why was the Governor standing outside the nursery? Fiyero couldn't think of a reasonable explanation, or what he was supposed to do now. Did he turn around and go back? Did he just walk past? Or did he have to stop and make a few moments of awkward chit chat? He was severely tempted to pick one of the first two options, it was definitely by far the easiest and most enjoyable option.

Instead, Fiyero found himself heaving a sigh and staring up at the ceiling, before sticking his hands in his pockets and slowly approaching the Governor. He stood next to him, saying nothing. Frex glanced at him for a second, and then returned to gazing at the babies in the nursery. Fiyero looked too, his gaze drifting over all the tiny, pink, perfect little babies. Little people who had their whole lives ahead of them and so many possibilities. Who didn't yet know about death or love.

"I bet Fae was a beautiful baby," he said quietly.

Frex said nothing.

"Was she tiny?" Fiyero pressed.

Apart from the date and that she had been born green, Fiyero knew nothing about Elphaba's birth. And Frex was the only person who could tell him about it.

"Five pounds, 2 ounces," Frex replied finally.

Fiyero didn't know much about babies, but that sounded little to him.

"Wow."

"Nessarose was three pounds. Exactly."

"Well, she was premature, right?"

"Ten weeks," Frex nodded.

Fiyero didn't want to dwell on Nessa's birth, given what else had happened on that day.

"And yes."

Fiyero was startled. "Yes?"

"Yes. Elphaba was a... a pretty baby," Frex said shortly, moving away from the window to a row of seats against the opposite wall.

Fiyero smiled softly as he followed.

"Once you got used to her skin, of course," Frex continued and Fiyero's smile faded.

"Well, she's grown into a beautiful woman," he said, leaving no argument in his tone.

Frex looked at him again. "She has," he agreed.

"Can you tell her that?"

The Governor looked over to Fiyero in shock. "_Excuse _me?"

Fiyero shrugged. "Do you know how much I have to fight her whenever I want to compliment her? That she blushes whenever I tell her she's beautiful? Which don't get me wrong, that's incredibly sweet and sexy and it makes me love her even more but... just once. I want her to believe that she's beautiful. Because she is. Inside and out. And I think if you, her _father_, ever gave her some kind of genuine compliment, that might be a start."

Frex was gaping at him in shock.

"She thinks you hate her," Fiyero said quietly. "She knows that you blame her for Nessa and what happened to their mother, and she thinks that you hate her because of that. Because of everything that she is."

"This is _none_ of your business," Frex exclaimed furiously.

"But it is," Fiyero argued. "I love her. Elphaba means more to me than anything or anyone in the world. I'm going to marry her one day. She's going to be the Queen of the Vinkus and the mother of my children. And I don't give a damn whether they're green or not. She is beautiful, and brilliant and brave. There is _so_ much more to her than she thinks or than you see. So it _is_ my business."

Frex seemed to struggle with what to say.

"I don't hate her."

Fiyero wasn't sure if he believed that or if Frex was trying to convince him- or himself- of that idea.

"You have a vision," Frex said slowly. "An idea, an image, a dream of what your child is going to look like, be like. This person that you created with the person you love most. In none of those dreams, is that child green."

Fiyero could understand that. "It must have been a shock," he said lamely.

"And I admit, that in the beginning, it was hard to adjust. But her mother loved her so much. And she was a sweet baby," Frex admitted. "Very quiet, very observant. And then when Nessa was born and we lost Melena..."

"You did blame her."

"I had to blame _someone_," Frex snapped. "It wasn't on purpose, but... yes, perhaps. You don't understand. When you lose someone you love, you don't know of the pain and the anger."

"I might," Fiyero said solemnly. "If Fae doesn't wake up... who am I going to blame? The cancer? A group of cells? Or... or Dr Crowe? There is no one I can blame for this."

He chuckled in disbelief. "So, you blamed her? A three year old? She didn't do anything, she was just born! She didn't _ask_ to be green."

Frex was silent, and Fiyero was expecting to be yelled at. Or hit. Instead, Frex surprised him.

"You're right," he admitted. "She didn't ask to be green."

Fiyero waited, unsure if there was more to this or not.

"You want to marry her?"

Fiyero smiled softly. "Yes, sir. And... I know that it's the proper thing to ask the father for her hand in marriage, but I have to be honest. I intend to marry Elphaba with or without your approval."

Frex raised his eyebrow slightly. Fiyero didn't know what that signified.

"I assume any... engagement or marriage would only take place after you both graduate?"

Fiyero was startled. "Yes, sir," he agreed hastily.

Frex nodded silently.

"Then I have no objection."

"Really?" Fiyero asked in surprise.

"You've proven to me that you really do love her. So, once you've graduated, you have my blessing."

Fiyero smiled, a real smile for the first time in ten days.

"Thank you, sir. I um... I'll leave you in peace."

He got to his feet and made to leave.

"Fiyero?"

Fiyero turned back in surprise.

"Yes?"

Frex reached into a pocket and pulled something out. Fiyero frowned slightly and then saw that it was the envelope that Nessa had given him three days ago.

"Any idea what this says?"

Fiyero hesitated. "Elphaba writes the truth. She writes what she thinks and what she feels. So..."

He shrugged awkwardly and walked away.

Frex sighed knowingly. He'd hesitated about opening it before now, not knowing what he would find inside. But now knowing what his eldest daughter thought of him, he really didn't know if he wanted to read it. In the end, he just opened it, bracing himself for whatever was within.

"_My dear Father,_

_This is just a short letter, because I don't know what I can possibly say to you._

_I'm sorry that I wasn't the daughter that you wanted, and for everything I've done to bring shame to our family. All I can say is that I've tried to make you proud of me, even knowing that I would fall short of your expectations._

_For so long, all I wanted was for you to see me as more than... more than my skin. I know that losing Momma hurt you and hurt our family, and that you're still hurting even now. But could you please tell Nessa about her? She doesn't know anything, and I've tried to tell her what I know, but even I don't know that much._

_Finally, I just want to say thank you for sending me to Shiz. I know that you only sent me here to look after Nessa, but I am so grateful that I had this chance to go. It gave me so many life experiences- friendship, love and I've learned so much. So thank you._

_Your daughter,_

_Elphaba."_

By the time Fiyero got back to Elphaba's room, the others were all back inside.

"The tests done?"

"Yeah," Boq nodded. "What do you suppose the tests are for?"

Fiyero shrugged. "No idea. Hey, Nessa, I found where your father's been disappearing to."

Nessa looked surprised. "Really? Where?"

"The maternity ward."

Nessa gaped at Fiyero like he was insane. "_What?! _You're joking, right?"

"No! Seriously, he was there, looking at the nursery."

"Ok, but that doesn't mean he goes there all the time, it just means he was there today," Galinda pointed out. "I mean, it makes no sense. Why would he be up in the maternity ward?"

"I don't know, but that's where he was."

"Well, did you talk to him?" Nessa asked.

"Yeah, we spoke," Fiyero admitted, sitting down.

"About what? You two aren't exactly bosom buddies," Boq said sceptically.

"Elphaba," he replied.

That surprised Nessa further. Her father wouldn't even talk to _her _about Elphaba, but he was talking to Fiyero?

"What about Elphaba?"

Fiyero hesitated, but it felt too good to keep to himself.

"Can you guys keep a secret?"

"Of course."

"Sure."

"Absolutely."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow at Galinda, who rolled her eyes knowingly.

"I can!"

Fiyero wasn't a hundred per cent confident about that, but he let it go.

"Your father gave his approval to me marrying Elphaba."

Galinda squealed and clutched Boq's arm excitedly, as Nessa gasped happily.

"_Really?"_

Fiyero nodded, smiling softly. "Yeah. The only condition he gave was that we have to graduate first, which I'd always planned anyway."

Galinda groaned. "How am I supposed to keep this a secret?!" she demanded. "If you're not going to propose until after graduation... that's like a year away!"

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "I knew it," he muttered.

"No, I can keep it secret, I promise," Galinda swore. "Although I don't know why it's a secret. Elphie knows you're going to get married one day."

Fiyero shot her a pointed look and she threw her hands up in surrender. "Fine, fine. My lips are sealed."

It was Boq who approached Fiyero a few minutes later, and the look on his face told Fiyero he wouldn't like what he was about to say.

"I think it's really great. About the Governor."

"But?" Fiyero asked knowingly.

Boq faltered for just a moment. "But... I'm worried that this will make it harder if she..."

"If she dies?" Fiyero finished, a little harsher than he'd intended.

Boq grimaced apologetically and Fiyero sighed.

"Look... I know that there's a chance. And I didn't intend to have that conversation with her father, it just happened. But Boq... I really need to believe she's going to wake up. We all do."

"I know," Boq agreed. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to-"

"I know," Fiyero cut him off. "Thanks, Boq."

Nessa left the room silently, heading up to the maternity ward. Sure enough, just as Fiyero had said, was her father sitting in a chair outside the nursery.

"Father?"

Frex smiled. "Nessa. What are you doing, sweetheart?"

"I was looking for you," she said, figuring it was kind of the truth. "What are you doing up here?"

"Just getting some perspective, I suppose."

Nessa wheeled herself towards the window and craned her head to look through.

"Oh, all the babies!" she exclaimed softly. "They're so cute!"

Her father joined her at the window.

"How are you holding up, Nessa?"

Nessa paused. "Father? When Momma died, was she in pain?"

Frex bent down to address his youngest daughter. "No. She was happy. She had just seen you, and seen how beautiful you were... and she went to sleep. That was it."

Nessa nodded, suddenly getting teary. "And if Fabala dies? Will she be in pain?"

Her father drew her in for a hug to comfort her. "No, sweetheart," he said softly. "If it comes to that, I promise you she won't be in pain. We'll make sure of it."

A few minutes later, father and daughter returned to Elphaba's room. They were about to enter when Dr Crowe approached and asked for a moment with Frex.

"Is it bad news?" he asked the doctor when they were alone.

"Unfortunately there's no news, but we should get the latest test results back tomorrow. I just wanted to see how everyone is holding up?"

"Should we be worried? Should we be expecting the worst?" Frex asked.

Dr Crowe was sympathetic. "Let's wait for these latest test results before we decide that, shall we? Elphaba is a fighter, and I really do believe if anyone can come out of this, it's your daughter."

Frex nodded. "Thank you."

"Governor, I am confident she'll pull through. I'm counting on being invited to her wedding," Dr Crowe smiled and Frex forced a smile in return.

"Thank you, doctor."

Dr Crowe nodded and left, heading towards his office for a meeting. He hadn't been lying, he was confident Elphaba would pull through. Or maybe he was just hoping. At this point, he wasn't sure he could tell the difference.


	39. Chapter 39

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. So the idea has been expressed (by me and supported by others) to do more videos like the one I did on my blog. Any ideas what I'd actually talk about on them? If you're interested, that is! Like... I don't know. Questions or something?**

**Also, I forgot to mention in chapter 37, that a lot of Elphaba's letter to Fiyero was inspired by the song "Sweet Silver Lining" by Kate Voegele. Anyone who watches _One Tree Hill _may recognise it!**

**Chapter Thirty-Nine**

Fiyero awoke with a start.

Fiyero had been working by Elphaba's bedside on some school work, after it was "suggested" by his parents that he didn't want to fall too far behind. Fiyero knew that however much it sounded like a suggestion, it really wasn't. But he didn't bother arguing, he just did it. He didn't have much fight in him at the moment.

He was supposed to have been working on an essay for Law class, but instead he must have fallen asleep. He hadn't slept well the night before, and was taking advantage of the fact that he was, for the moment, alone in the room.

Nessa and Galinda had gone with his mother to breakfast, and Boq had stopped by the school library before coming. Fiyero had no idea where his father or the Governor were.

Fiyero lifted his head from where it had resting on the bed, rubbing his face blearily. One hand was still gently grasping Elphaba's as it had been when he fell asleep. He couldn't work out what had woken him.

Yawning, he stretched his neck and looked around. The room was still empty, and still silent. And then he knew what had awoken him.

Elphaba's hand twitched.

_Elphaba's hand twitched. _In an instant, Fiyero was on his feet and bent over her, tightening his grip on her hand.

"Elphaba? Fae? Can you hear me?"

He held his breath, staring at her intently and watching for any sign of movement or sound. There was nothing, and he wondered if maybe he'd just imagined it, in his half-awake state.

"Fae?" he whispered, his heart sinking in disappointment.

And then her hand twitched again, and her nose scrunched up slightly. Fiyero choked on a odd half-gasp and half-laugh, lifting her hand up and kissing the back of it.

"Fae, come on. Open your eyes. Open your eyes, green girl," he begged her.

As he watched, her nose scrunched up again and her eyelids fluttered. For a split second, Fiyero saw a glimpse of brown, and then her face was peaceful and still once more.

Not sure what that meant, and his heart in his throat, Fiyero dropped her hand and ran for the door, all the way down the hall and to the nurses' station.

"I need Dr Crowe," he said brusquely to the nurse.

The nurse looked alarmed. "What's happened?"

"Just get him here, _now."_

"Fiyero? What's going on?"

Fiyero whirled around to face the doctor. "Her eyes opened."

Thankfully, Dr Crowe didn't question anything, he just hurried towards Elphaba's room. Once inside, he began to examine her as Fiyero paced back and forth at the foot of the bed.

"Her hand twitched. Her hand twitched at least twice. And- and then she screwed up her nose and her eyelids fluttered. I swear. I didn't imagine it."

"I believe you, Fiyero," Dr Crowe said gently.

Nessa, Galinda and Boq entered the room, seeming surprised to see Dr Crowe in the room.

"What's going on?" Boq asked.

"Elphaba opened her eyes," Fiyero explained, his voice shaking slightly.

Nessa was immediately come over with tears. "What? Are you sure?"

"I swear, they opened," Fiyero told her.

Galinda's eyes were wide. "What- what does that mean?"

Dr Crowe straightened up and turned to them.

"It means she's coming back to us."

Nessa and Galinda were both crying, and Fiyero felt like joining them.

"But, she's still unconscious," he said, looking at her carefully.

"She's asleep, she's no longer in a coma," Dr Crowe explained.

"She's asleep?" Galinda repeated, also watching Elphaba closely with a touch of fear in her eyes.

"You'd be surprised how exhausting it is being in a coma," Dr Crowe nodded.

Boq looked confused. "But it's a _coma. _How is that exhausting?"

"Ok, Boq, this is not the point," Fiyero said.

"Sorry," the Munchkin said sheepishly.

"I- um... I have to go find my father," Nessa said emotionally, turning and wheeling herself hastily out of the room.

"I'll go with her," Boq offered and hurried after her.

Fiyero sat back in the chair he had just vacated, and Galinda sat on the opposite smile with the most brilliant smile he'd seen on her face in a while.

"And now we wait?"

"And now we wait," Fiyero agreed, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from him.

It wasn't long before they were all gathered back in Elphaba's room, just waiting. But it was far less anxious this time, more relaxed. And there was such a suspense in the air that Fiyero could barely stand it. Time dragged by. Dr Crowe came in to do regular checks. He told them all not to be surprised if once Elphaba did wake up, she experienced some confusion and even some memory loss.

"If she does have memory loss, will she get it back?" Nessa asked anxiously.

"She should, given time," he nodded.

Finally, in late afternoon, Elphaba stirred. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, and then widened in surprise as she took in everyone gathered around her bed and staring at her.

Nessa couldn't contain herself in her excitement and just complete joy at seeing her sister awake.

"Elphaba! You're awake! I'm so happy to see you!" she exclaimed, beaming.

Galinda was just as excited. "Oh, Elphie! How do you feel?"

Dr Crowe entered the room and swiftly intervened, perhaps sensing that Elphaba was already feeling a little overwhelmed within ten seconds of waking up.

"Can I ask you all to leave for a few minutes?" he asked them kindly. "Just so I can give Elphaba a quick check up and have a bit of a chat?"

"But-"

"Just for a few minutes," he promised.

"Come on," Ibrahim addressed his son, gently ushering them towards the door. "The quicker we go, the quicker we can come back."

"Do you think she's okay?" Nessa asked anxiously as they waited impatiently in the hall. "She was so quiet."

"To be fair, she just woke up and we didn't really give her time to say anything," Boq pointed out.

Fiyero couldn't speak, his whole body was trembling and he couldn't stop it. Elphaba was awake, she was just on the other side of the door. He felt like Lurlinemas and his birthday had come at once.

"Fiyero?"

Fiyero jumped slightly as he became aware he was being addressed. He looked up and saw Dr Crowe exiting Elphaba's room.

"How is she?" he asked immediately.

"She's a bit hazy on the few days before the coma, but that's quite expected and I'm sure that will come back to her," Dr Crowe informed them. Then he looked to Fiyero.

"She's asked to see you."

Fiyero's face cracked into a grin a mile wide. "Really?"

Nessa and Galinda looked crestfallen, and Fiyero tried to reassure them.

"Just give us a few minutes, okay?"

Nessa nodded, forcing a smile. "Go."

Fiyero immediately took her upon her word, slipping through the door into Elphaba's room. He couldn't help but just stand against the door for a moment, watching her. Elphaba was sitting up slightly in bed, leaning against the pillows. As the door clicked shut, her head turned towards the door and she managed a weak smile.

"Hi."

He returned the smile, moving across the room and sitting gently on the bed.

"You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that."

Elphaba's smile widened and Fiyero leaned down and kissed her for the first time in almost two weeks.

"I thought I was going to lose you," he breathed, pulling back just a fraction and gently running his thumb over her cheekbone.

"I love you," Elphaba murmured, because it was the only thing she think of to say in that moment.

Fiyero smiled, his face filled with so much joy that Elphaba didn't think she'd ever seen on his face before.

"I love you too, Fae," he replied and kissed her again.

Elphaba just had one more question. "Dr Crowe wouldn't tell me. Exactly how close...?"

Fiyero stalled. He knew what she was asking. How close to dying did she get?

"You mean medically? Because honestly, there's been a lot of stuff going on that I don't understand. You know... three syllable words and all, so I can't-"

"Yero."

He swallowed hard, pulling back and entwining her fingers in his tightly.

"I don't know. All I know is that we were all terrified, Fae. We um... Galinda found your letters. In your closet, in the shoebox. And we opened them."

Elphaba's eyes widened. "Oh. Right..."

She lowered her eyes and looked away. "That close, huh?"

Fiyero leaned forward and kissed her again.

"There are a lot of people in the hall who love you and really want to see you," he said gently. "But later, when you're more rested and we have more privacy, we're going to talk."

"About what?" Elphaba frowned, her voice still frighteningly weak.

"About everything you wrote," he answered, and got up to let the others in before she could reply.

The next few days consisted mostly of sleeping and tests for Elphaba. She tired easily and had little energy, which explained the sleeping. Just being in the same room as Galinda was enough to make her feel as though she'd just ran a ten-mile marathon. As much as she loved her best friend; her energy was exhausting.

And the tests, well Elphaba was used to that by now. They were testing everything from her brain function to all the tests she was supposed to have done once she finished the radiation spells.

Elphaba couldn't get over how out of whack she felt. Just the fact that she had lost almost two weeks of her life was weird enough, but she felt completely strange as she tried to adjust. Dr Crowe assured her that it was normal, and it would pass. Elphaba had no memories of being in the coma, no memories of hearing voices or dreams. She still didn't really remember the few days before ending up in the hospital.

Now that she was awake, the adults had sent Fiyero, Boq, Galinda and Nessa back to classes, much to their dismay. They had all been understanding while Elphaba was unconscious, but now that she was awake, it was insisted that things begin to get back into a routine.

"Why can't that routine involve not being at class?" Fiyero asked.

"Because otherwise your routine over the summer will be making up all the finals you fail," his father countered and Fiyero considered that.

"Fine," he agreed miserably.

That didn't stop them all from heading to the hospital any time they weren't in class. Three days after Elphaba woke up, they entered the room and came to a stop as they saw Elphaba sitting on the edge of the bed, crying softly as Dr Crowe stood before her.

Fiyero froze.

"What's going on?" he demanded, not liking this scene before him at all.

Dr Crowe turned to them. "I was just telling Elphaba the news."

"What news?" Galinda croaked, looking panicked.

Dr Crowe glanced at Elphaba, who nodded, before answering her question.

"Her latest test results show no sign of cancer."

Fiyero looked between the doctor and Elphaba as the meaning sank in.

"You- you mean?"

Elphaba nodded, unable to speak.

Nessa was on the verge of tears. "She's in remission?"

Dr Crowe nodded with a happy smile.

Fiyero strode across the room and whirled Elphaba off her feet, spinning her in circles as she buried her face in his neck.

"You did it! You did it, Fae," he choked out, torn between laughter and tears.

Nessa and Galinda were both crying again as Elphaba and Fiyero separated.

"Fabala... I..."

Elphaba bent down so that she could hug her sister tightly, and Galinda threw herself in the midst to make it a group hug, pulling Boq with her. Fiyero joined in, not wanting to be left out. He was pretty sure that they were all crying and he was sure that they looked ridiculous. But none of that mattered at the moment. Elphaba was going to be okay. She had beaten the cancer.

It was over.

**AN. See, she's awake and she's ok! So now you guys can all (to quote Elphaba from 40 Weeks) chill the hell out :P**


	40. Chapter 40

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. The 2nd last chapter *sob*! Of the actual story anyway. Don't panic! Epilogue and mini-sequel remember? I can't believe I got so many reviews for Elphaba opening her eyes! You know she does that every day, right? :p Don't worry, I understand your excitement.**

**I think the impression from the last chapter (amidst all the squealing) was that you would be happy/relatively interested if I did more videos? There won't be any more for like another week, and I still have no idea what in Oz's name is interesting enough to discuss. The only idea someone suggested was like a video Q&A. Thoughts?**

**Chapter Forty**

OK, so it turned out it wasn't quite over.

Yes, Elphaba was in remission, and they were all ecstatic over that, but Elphaba's recovery was only just beginning. That, they were learning, was going to be another long journey, both physically and mentally.

Knowing how she felt about hospitals, Dr Crowe had promised her that when she could walk up and down the hall and was eating at least two meals a day, he would agree to discharge her. And whilst Elphaba was thrilled that food was beginning to actually taste like food again, she was still barely managing to eat _one _meal a day.

"How about one and a half meals?" she tried to negotiate, but Dr Crowe remained firm.

"Two."

The other thing Elphaba was finding was that everyone wanted to talk to her. She and Fiyero had talked the day before for about two hours, a talk which involved both of them crying and talking until Elphaba was hoarse. But it had been a good talk, about everything she had written in her letter, and everything he had written in his. Fiyero had presented the letters to her the day after she woke up, much to her surprise. And then she had read them, and had just been completely overwhelmed.

Fiyero's letters had prompted deep, but marginally less teary conversations with both Nessa and Galinda. Even Boq had sought her out to thank her for what she had written to him.

A few days after that, Frex entered his daughter's hospital room. The bed was empty and he was startled for a moment, before seeing her sitting in a chair on the other side of the room. And quite frankly, she looked about to fall asleep.

"You should be back in bed."

Elphaba looked over at him. "I know," she admitted. "I managed to walk over here, but getting back to the bed..."

Her father strode forward and extended his hand to her.

"Here."

Slightly surprised, Elphaba allowed him to help her to her feet and guide her back into the bed.

_So, I guess this is where we talk, _she thought dryly, as Frex awkwardly sat on the end of her bed.

"Elphaba, I..."

Frex trailed off and Elphaba waited expectantly. She didn't think she'd ever seen her father this uncomfortable.

"I need to apologise."

She gaped slightly. "What?"

"I owe you an apology," Frex continued. "It has been... brought to my attention lately that... I haven't been fair to you. As a father."

Elphaba was stunned. Was she expected to confirm or deny this?

"Um..."

"And your letter said a lot."

She cringed. Writing that letter had been difficult, but she had at least been comforted by the fact that if that letter had ever needed to be read, she wouldn't have to face the aftermath.

_Well, the best laid plans, _she thought sarcastically. _Thanks to Galinda._

Galinda had been so apologetic about the letters, but Elphaba didn't begrudge her friend for her actions. She accepted it was mostly her own fault, and she should have labelled the letters better. But it had all worked out the end... until now, anyway.

"Father, about that, I-"

"Elphaba, please," Frex cut her off.

She fell silent, although she was fighting the urge to speak.

"I'm sorry that I've made you feel responsible for things that aren't your fault."

Elphaba paused. "You- you're talking about...?"

"Your mother. And your sister," Frex acknowledged. "Elphaba, when your mother died, I was very hurt. And very angry, and I wanted to blame someone. Someone other than myself. And I realised too late that the blame should not have fallen to you. It was never my conscious intention. I'm sorry."

He cleared his throat. "I know I've been hard on you. But I've never hated you."

Elphaba couldn't help but interject. "Are you sure?"

Frex looked startled, and she cringed, she had spoken without thinking.

"I- I'm not trying to be a bitch," she said and then realised that 'bitch' probably wasn't a word that would impress her father.

"Um... I know that this is hard for you to say, but I just... it hasn't exactly felt like... like you don't. Hate me."

The look on her father's face was odd. Elphaba cleared her throat and tried to explain.

"What I wrote... in my letter... about not being the daughter that you wanted. I mean, I know it's true, no one wants a green child. But it's also true that I wrote that you've never seen more than my skin. You don't even acknowledge my birthday."

"I hated that you were born different. That everyone talked about you, about our family. I never hated you," Frex said. "As for your birthday... you're right. I've never acknowledged it. I should have."

He sighed. "In the past few months, it has become quite apparent that I don't know you at all. He loves you, you know. Fiyero."

Elphaba's face softened and she actually smiled. "Well, I didn't think you meant Boq."

Even Frex had to smile at that.

"But I know. I love him too."

Frex nodded. He knew that too.

"And whatever his former reputation, he's a good man."

"He is," Frex agreed, which made Elphaba raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"I wouldn't trust my daughter with him if he wasn't."

Elphaba's natural instinct was to bristle. "I'm 22-"

"But you're still my daughter," Frex cut her off. "No matter your age, I want to make sure that _both _my daughters are with people who will treat them right."

"Fatherly duty?" Elphaba asked, a touch of sarcasm in her tone.

"A promise to your mother," he retorted.

Elphaba was stunned, that was the last response she had expected. "What?"

Frex wouldn't elaborate.

"Elphaba, I'd like things to be different now. With our family."

Elphaba paused, and then finally nodded slowly. "OK. I'd like that."

Her father hesitated, and then took her hand. "I am proud of you Elphaba. You've grown into a... a beautiful, intelligent, confident young woman. I am proud of the way you've conducted yourself over the past few months. And your mother would be too."

Elphaba was so stunned she felt as though she'd been smacked in the face. She had never imagined her father would ever say anything like that to her, and she didn't quite know what to say.

"Thank you," she said shakily.

Her father squeezed her hand lightly and then got up and leaving the room.

When her friends entered the room fifteen minutes later, Fiyero drew sharply to a stop in the doorway.

"OK, you have _got _to stop looking like that when I walk into a room!" he cried. "It scares me half to death."

Galinda slapped him on the arm. "_Fiyero!"_

She hurried across the room to sit with Elphaba on the bed, placing an arm around her consolingly.

"Elphie, what's happened? It's... it's nothing bad, is it?"

Elphaba paused. "It's my father."

"What did he do?" Nessa demanded, much to the surprise of them all.

"He said he was proud of me."

Fiyero frowned. "What?"

She told them what they had talked about and everything Frex had said to her.

"This is great!" Nessa said happily. "It is, isn't it?"

Elphaba thought about that and then finally nodded. "It is, Nessie. It really is," she smiled.

"Is it? Really?" Fiyero asked her quietly, when they were alone later.

The others always gave the couple a minute alone at the end of visiting hours, and the nurses always pretended not to notice that Fiyero never left the room before at least five minutes _after_ the end of visiting hours.

She chuckled. "Call me crazy, but I think that there's actually a chance of my father and I getting some semblance of a functional father-daughter relationship. And despite everything, I think I want that. He said some really nice things."

Fiyero kissed her lightly. "I'm glad, Fae. Really. I'm glad you're getting what you want."

Elphaba made a face. "If I was _really_ getting what I wanted, I'd be getting out of here."

Fiyero laughed.

If there was anything had Elphaba and Fiyero had found, it was that there was nothing to put the spark back in a relationship quite like being in remission. Not that the spark had ever gone out, but it was different. Fiyero had always been so gentle and loving with her while she was sick. But the news that she was in remission had made them simply both so happy that it felt like they were falling in love all over again. Fiyero could barely keep his hands off her, much to Elphaba's equal embarrassment and happiness.

"We have two weeks to make up for," he had told her with a grin in the beginning, and Elphaba had simply rolled her eyes.

Dr Crowe finally agreed to discharge Elphaba a week later. He gave her a big talk on eating right, gaining weight, not pushing herself and warning her not to expect everything to get back to normal overnight.

Elphaba was thrilled, but as the day she could leave approached, she was surprised to find herself strangely panicked and overwhelmed.

She confessed this to Michi, who came to see her the day before she was discharged, and the counsellor reassured her it was perfectly natural.

"It can be really scary leaving the hospital, I know. What exactly is worrying you?"

Elphaba hesitated.

"You know, when I was where you are now," Michi said gently. "I was terrified. I was afraid of getting sick again."

"See, my desire to get out of here overrides my fear of getting sick again," Elphaba said dryly and Michi laughed.

"So, you're afraid of getting sick again?"

"I don't know," Elphaba admitted. "I guess... I mean, this was all from an infection. I could get another one just as easy."

She sighed. "I think I'm still having trouble getting my head around the 'remission' thing. I mean, I'm happy but... I've spent the past four months not wanting to think too far into the future. And now all of a sudden, it's 'hey feel free to plan the next twenty years of your life, but don't forget the cancer could come back'. I have to get checkups every month for the rest of my life. I may not be able to have children; or I could develop problems with my lungs, heart, kidneys; or a million other things."

"Or you could be fine and live a long happy life," Michi reminded her softly.

"Don't dwell on the negatives, Elphaba. You've beat the cancer, don't let it have any more hold on you."

Then she smiled. "I'm still here if you ever want to talk about anything."

Elphaba smiled. "Thank you."

The next morning, Elphaba was a little surprised to see them all enter her hospital room.

"Why aren't you guys in class?"

Fiyero snorted. "Like we're going to class _today, _Fae. _Really."_

Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"We thought today was a day to festivate, Elphie!" Galinda beamed.

"It was Fiyero's idea," Ibrahim told her.

"Of course it was," she replied.

"Are you ready?" Frex asked her.

Elphaba nodded. "Just waiting on Dr Crowe to bring by the papers."

Fiyero settled himself on the bed. "So, Fae. Do you remember the list?"

She frowned. "What list?"

He stared at her pointedly. "_The _list."

Elphaba racked her brain, and then recalled the list he had given to her at her first potions session.

"What about it?" she asked, blushing slightly at the memory of a certain item on that list.

Fiyero grinned at her as though he knew exactly what she was thinking about.

"Do you remember the first thing on the list?"

She immediately protested. "_Oh, _no. _No _parties."

Nessa giggled. "I knew you'd say that," she said as Fiyero pouted.

"So we were thinking more dinner instead?" Boq suggested.

Elphaba hesitated, not sure whether she'd be able to eat much or if she might very well fall asleep at the table. But the idea of spending time with her friends and family in a place that wasn't a hospital was too good to pass up.

"OK," she agreed. "I can't guarantee-"

"Sweetheart, you can just sit there if you want," Kasmira promised her. "It's just about doing something together for the occasion."

Elphaba smiled. "OK. It sounds great."

Dr Crowe entered the room a few minutes later, brandishing the cherished discharge papers.

"Here we go. Signed, sealed and now delivered."

Elphaba smiled. "I might really frame these. Thank you."

"Thank _you," _he responded. "Elphaba, it has been a real pleasure getting to know you. And no offence, but I really hope I never have to see you again."

"The feeling is definishly mutual," she laughed.

"OK, let's go!" Fiyero said happily, getting up and grabbing Elphaba's bag.

"Just one last thing," Dr Crowe said, just as a nurse entered with a wheelchair.

Elphaba sighed. "Right. Hospital policy."

"Yep," the doctor replied cheerfully.

She was pushed down to the hospital entrance in the wheelchair, and then Fiyero and Boq helped her to her feet.

"You ready?" Fiyero asked her.

Elphaba nodded faintly. "Yeah," she said.

He squeezed her hand. "Good. Let's get out of here and preferably never come back, alright?"

She chuckled. "Sounds good to me."

They stepped outside and into the sunshine. Elphaba gently pulled them to a stop before they could get into the carriage that was waiting.

"Are you alright, El?" Boq frowned.

"Yeah. Just give me a sec," she replied, enjoying the feeling of the sun on her skin. Then she looked at the Munchkin.

"El?"

He shrugged. "I'm trying it out as a nickname."

Elphaba nodded slowly. "Sure."

Fiyero raised an eyebrow. "El?" he repeated thoughtfully.

"Don't _you _start," Elphaba warned him. "Come on, let's go."

"I like El," Galinda offered as they climbed into the carriage. "It's simple, but you could easily change it to Ellie if you wanted to."

"Anyone who calls me Ellie is going to end up back in the hospital," Elphaba threatened.

Fiyero exchanged a grin with Boq.

Now that Elphaba was doing much better and out of hospital, Frex and Fiyero's parents reluctantly decided they should return to their respective provinces. The day before they all left, Galinda summoned them all together for a meeting at _The Wilted Rose. _

"What's all this about, Glin?" Fiyero asked.

Galinda was beaming. "OK, I had a letter from Momsie and Popsicle today. Elphie, they're both _thrillified _that you're okay and send you their love and best wishes."

"Oh. Well, tell them thank you," Elphaba replied, blinking in surprise.

"That's not my point," Galinda dismissed her and continued. "Anyway, I was telling them everything Dr Crowe said, about how you have to get healthy again and all that. _So, _they've offered us all to spend the _whole _summer at our holiday house at Neverdale!"

Nessa frowned. "Didn't we discuss doing that at one point?"

"Yes, but now they've offered it," Galinda replied.

Elphaba nodded in understanding. "So you told your parents about it, knowing they'd offer. So that way, you're not asking, it's their idea. You just manipulated your parents into giving you exactly what you wanted."

"Well, duh," Galinda rolled her eyes. "Elphie, I do it all the time."

"_Clearly_," Elphaba replied sarcastically.

Galinda ignored her best friend. "So? Who's in?"

Fiyero, Elphaba and Nessa immediately looked to their respective parents.

"I just think, it's been a very trying year for all of us," Galinda continued, seemingly oblivious. "Emotionally and everything. _And _we still have finals to get through. But a whole summer by the lake, with fresh air and sunshine. I think it could be great, yes for all of us, but especially to help you, Elphie. You're so thin and pale still. And really, isn't your health the most important thing here?"

Kasmira laughed. "You can save your sales pitch, Galinda," she smiled at the girl. "Fiyero, although I doubt you're really asking our permission here, you can go."

Fiyero looked outraged. "Who says I wasn't asking your permission? You're my parents and I... ok, yeah, I'd be going anyway," he admitted as Ibrahim raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Thanks, guys."

"Father?" Nessa asked Frex hopefully.

Frex looked more hesitant than Fiyero's parents to agree.

"Will there be adult supervision?"

"Besides us?" Elphaba couldn't help but retort pointedly. After all, they were all legally adults.

Frex rolled his eyes. "Will there be chaperones?" he rephrased.

"My parents," Galinda reassured him.

Frex sighed. "I was hoping we would be spending some family time together this summer, after everything..."

"You could come!" Galinda offered immediately, ignoring both Elphaba and Fiyero subtly kicking her under the table. "I mean, you don't have to spend all the summer there, but you could come. My parents wouldn't mind. They'd actually be really happy to meet you. You too," she addressed Ibrahim and Kasmira.

"Boq, even your family could come! It's a _huge_ house, and if it gets really crowded, people can share rooms."

Elphaba shot Fiyero a warning look not to say anything, even as he opened his mouth to volunteer a certain rooming situation he wouldn't mind. He obediently clamped his mouth shut again.

"Father, please? It sounds really fun," Nessa pleaded. "And it's really for Elphaba."

Galinda seized Elphaba's arm and wrapped a hand around her wrist as though to emphasise how thin and bony it was now. Elphaba slapped her hand away, knowing what she was doing.

"_Stop _that."

She looked to her father, who was pondering the situation while Galinda and Nessa both looked at him pleadingly.

"Alright," he agreed finally. "I think it would be beneficial for your sister's health."

Nessa squealed in excitement. "Thank you, Father!"

Elphaba met her father's gaze. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"You're coming too, right, Boq?" Fiyero asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure my parents will be fine with it," Boq agreed.

Galinda was beaming again. "This is going to be the best summer _ever!"_

"Don't get too excited, Galinda. We still have one thing before that," Elphaba warned her.

"What?"

"Finals."

Galinda's face fell. "Oh, right."


	41. Chapter 41

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Wicked **_**is not my property or creation, simply the thing that brings me joy.**

**AN. Last chapter! Also, during the week Dimpled interviewed me for her series "Wicked Interviews" and I wrote a one-shot at the end of it. So check both of those out! And thanks to Dimpled for the offer and interview! It was so much fun, and my first interview!**

**Also, just as a little thing, check my blog. I know some of you have already seen it, but I made a little poster for you all.**

**Chapter Forty- One**

Lake Chorge was just as beautiful and peaceful as Elphaba... well, kind of remembered.

They had just arrived that day, at the beautiful (and extremely large) summer house of the Uplands that sat right on the shore of the lake. As the others were claiming their rooms and unpacking, Elphaba was standing on the shore, looking over the water.

Fiyero came up behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist, softly pressing his lips to her neck. Elphaba leaned into him, a smile spreading over her face.

"Hey. What are you doing?"

"Nothing. Just picked a room."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Conveniently, I think it's located right next to yours."

Elphaba chuckled. "Oh really? And what conveniences do you expect that arrangement to have?"

Fiyero squeezed her tighter. "Maybe I feel better having you close," he murmured.

Elphaba's smile spread, and she turned so that she could kiss her boyfriend. Fiyero happily held her closer, and they didn't even hear Galinda approaching until she cleared her throat.

"Um, I'm sorry to burst this love bubble, but we're about to serve lunch."

Elphaba blushed. "OK. Thanks, Glin."

Galinda shook her head as they headed back to the house.

"You two are so-"

"Don't say adorable," Elphaba begged.

"Happy," Galinda finished, rolling her eyes at Elphaba. "Like, super happy. I mean, you have been happy for like the past month, but... all day you two have been all lovey-dovey. What happened last night?"

Fiyero looked to Elphaba. "She doesn't know?"

"I don't tell her everything," Elphaba replied.

The night before, their last night at Shiz, Fiyero and Elphaba had celebrated their (official) one year anniversary. All Elphaba had told Galinda when she finally returned to the room was that it had been great. And that was not enough information for Galinda.

"What happened?" Galinda repeated eagerly.

"_Nothing. _We just had dinner," Elphaba said.

That wasn't exactly it. Fiyero had arranged a private and romantic candlelight dinner underneath their tree on the grounds. And it had been completely perfect.

But Galinda was right in one thing- they were happy. They were all happy.

They had all survived their finals, although Elphaba wasn't terribly confident she'd done as well as she could have. She still had trouble remembering some things, a side effect from her treatment. Or the infection. Or something. However, Frex had contacted Madame Morrible, and the Headshizstress had assured Elphaba that the staff would allow her to re-sit the finals in the fall if necessary.

And Elphaba was slowly beginning to regain her appetite and her energy- although not fast enough for her liking. And most happily, hair was beginning to return on top of her head. It wasn't much, and she was still mostly wearing scarves or hats to cover her head, but it was what was making her feel the most normal. Just to know it was there.

Galinda had also been right all those months ago when she had told Elphaba that once she was healthy, it would feel like her and Fiyero's relationship was new again. It did, which mostly translated to Fiyero's inability to keep his hands off her.

When they entered the house, they found everyone gathered in the dining room. Galinda immediately dragged Elphaba over to her parents.

"Momsie, Popsicle, this is Elphaba. Elphie, these are my parents."

"Hello," Elphaba greeted them.

Galinda's mother, who looked like an older version of her daughter, beamed at Elphaba.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Elphaba. Glinny has told us so much about you. I'm so happy that you've recovered."

"Thank you," Elphaba replied.

Over lunch, they discoverated that it could very well be that Galinda had simply be cloned from her mother. The only difference was that Mrs Upland was less obsessed with the colour pink. Galinda's father was cheerful and friendly, and clearly doting to his wife and daughter.

At the beginning of the summer, Galinda's parents were their only chaperones. Boq's family travelled up from Munchkinland for a weekend to celebrate Boq's birthday at the beginning of July, which had been a very small and quiet affair.

Galinda's birthday, at the end of July, was already being planned and she was very excited about it- naturally. But she was keeping the plans firmly under wraps.

They spent most of their days on the lake, enjoying the beautiful weather. For Elphaba, that meant sitting or lying on the shore, usually reading, or sleeping and soaking in the sun. Nessa would usually sit with her, but Fiyero was quite happy to forsake the water to sit with Elphaba in his arms.

"You make a good pillow," she murmured to him drowsily one day from where her head rested on his chest, half-asleep. "Have I told you that?"

"It's one of my many skills," Fiyero smiled, rubbing soft circles on her back.

Galinda emerged from the water a few moments later, grabbing a towel.

"She's not going to get burnt is she? We don't want to beat one cancer to have to fight another," she said anxiously, looking at Elphaba, who was now asleep.

"She's got sunscreen on," Fiyero reassured her. "Plus, she's covered, Glin."

Elphaba did have a light wrap on over her sundress, so Galinda relaxed.

"OK. I think we have some beach umbrellas somewhere..."

"That would be great."

"I can help you find them, Galinda," Boq offered.

Galinda smiled. "Thanks, Boq."

Nessa was also examining her sister closely. "She's got more colour in her face. That's a good thing, right?"

Fiyero nodded. "Yeah. She's getting there guys. Just slowly."

And she was. And there had been times in the past few months where Fiyero felt like Elphaba's emotional recovery was progressing much faster than her physical recovery. And then there were times where it seemed just the opposite.

She still had times where she would become quiet and withdrawn, and the others would pretty much have to literally drag her out of bed and out of the room. But everything Fiyero read told him this was normal, and those times would gradually become fewer and longer apart.

It was a week before Galinda's birthday when she finally revealed her plans to her friends.

"So, usually on my birthday Momsie and Popsicle throw me a _huge _party with all our friends," she explained. "But I decided this year, I wanted to do something different. So, we're going to have a dinner party!"

"Who's _we?" _Fiyero asked.

"Well, the five of us obviously. And my parents. That's it," she promised.

Elphaba narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "I feel like there's a _but _coming."

"But..."

"There it is," Fiyero nodded.

Galinda scowled at the both of them. "_But, _it's going to have a little bit of a theme."

"What theme?" Nessa asked in interest.

"Pink! Everyone has to wear at least one thing pink," she beamed.

Elphaba fought back a groan.

Boq frowned. "I own nothing pink. At all."

"It's ok, we'll go shopping tomorrow," Galinda reassured him.

Sure enough, promptly the next morning, Galinda dragged them all into town. Elphaba begged off, pleading fatigue; so Galinda didn't push her.

"Um, I thought we all agreed that we weren't going to let Fae go to that dark scary place," Fiyero reminded Galinda when she told them Elphaba wouldn't be coming.

Galinda grimaced. "I know. But what if she is genuinely just tired? Besides, if we're going to drag her out of bed whenever she's not doing great, do you really think making her go shopping is the best way to fix that?"

Fiyero thought about that. "OK, you may have a point," he conceded.

The small town of Neverdale was only ten minutes from the Uplands home. Once Fiyero had completed his own shopping, he decided to make his own way back to check on Elphaba.

He found her in the bedroom she'd claimed, lying on her bed in the foetal position and staring out the window. After leaving his purchases in his own room, he entered her room and got onto the bed with her, slipping his arms around her.

"How's your head?"

Elphaba was confused. "Did I hit it?"

"I meant the inside," he clarified.

"Oh. Right. You mean the thinking, feeling part?"

"That's the one," he nodded.

Elphaba sighed and rolled over to face him. She gave a small shrug.

"I don't know. I had a weird dream last night. Let's blame that, okay?"

Fiyero's interest was captured. "What kind of dream?"

"What kind of dream?" Elphaba repeated. "What are you hoping for? A dirty dream?"

Fiyero grinned. "Maybe," he said, kissing her sweetly.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "And if I _did, _would you really want me to describe it as 'weird'?"

Fiyero thought about that and made a face. "No, not really. Ok, so what was your dream?"

"Forget it."

"_Elphaba," _Fiyero said, stressing each syllable of her name.

Elphaba sighed again and then relented.

"It was my mother's funeral. Except it was mine."

Fiyero got up onto one elbow to look at her carefully, trying to hide the panic he was feeling.

"What?" he asked eventually.

"One of the clearest memories I have from my childhood is my mother's funeral. I can barely remember _her, _but the funeral... is so clear. You've got to love that, huh? And this dream... it was like I was reliving it. Everything was exactly the same. But when I got to the casket, it was me inside, not my mother."

Fiyero wasn't sure what to say. "What do you think that means?"

Elphaba had been mulling that over ever since she woke up that morning.

"I guess I'm still afraid," she admitted. "I mean, I'm still panicking over every little twinge or anything that I associate with the cancer."

She swallowed hard. "When will it stop? When can I just get back to my life already?"

Fiyero leaned down and kissed her. "Fae, you may not feel like it, but you're doing so well," he told her softly. "I'm so proud of you. Just don't push yourself. There's no time limit or any expectations for you to get past this."

Then he grinned. "And if you want some inspiration for some more pleasant dreams..."

Elphaba blushed even as he kissed her slowly and deeply. And then he preceded to cheer her up, the best way he knew how.

It had actually been Fiyero's intention to drag Elphaba out for a walk along the lake in order to relax her, but it was nearly forty-five minutes before that actually happened.

"So, what do you want?"

Elphaba looked at him. "What do you mean?"

He shrugged, keeping her close as they walked. "I mean... you want to get back to normal, right? You want to get on with your life? So, maybe you should think about what you want from your life. And then we can figure out how to get there."

Elphaba stopped walking and turned to him, sliding her arms around his neck.

"I want forever with you. And I want to stop being afraid that we're not going to get that."

Fiyero smiled and kissed her sweetly. "We'll get it, Fae. But we'll make our forever one day at a time."

"One day at a time," she repeated.

He nodded. "One day at a time. Just like we did with the cancer. And we got through that, didn't we?"

Elphaba nodded thoughtfully. "We did," she agreed softly.

"OK, I like the idea of that. Forever. One day at a time."

He grinned. "I like the idea of forever."

Friday was Galinda's twenty-first birthday, and she was practically glowing.

"This is the one day of the year that I can justifiably demand that everyone is centred on me," she explained to Elphaba, who laughed.

Mr and Mrs Upland had hired decorators who were trimming the outdoor patio in fairy lights and pink... everything.

As the sun began to set, the group went upstairs to dress for dinner. Elphaba was just straightening her dress when there was a knock on the door and Galinda let herself in.

"Thanks for waiting," Elphaba said sarcastically.

Galinda frowned, her hands on her hips. "Elphie, that's black."

"Well spotted, Glin."

"Elphie, the theme is _pink."_

"And I will be wearing pink," Elphaba replied calmly.

She reached into a drawer and pulled out something. Galinda realised after a moment it was the pink headscarf she had given her for Lurlinemas.

"This is the most pink you will _ever _see me wear, so don't get used to it," she replied bluntly.

Galinda beamed and then hugged her. "Thank you, Elphie!"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Did you want something?"

Once Galinda had left and Elphaba had finished getting dressed, she headed downstairs. Standing in the conservatory, which overlooked the back patio and garden, Elphaba could see both Nessa and Boq there, admiring the table. Nessa was looking very pretty in a pale pink dress, whilst Boq was wearing a pink bowtie with his shirt.

Helping herself to a glass of water from the kitchen, Elphaba sipped it slowly. And then promptly choked on it as Fiyero entered the room wearing a pale pink shirt and a bright pink tie.

"Where in Oz's name did you get _that?!" _she gasped hoarsely.

"Hey, I'm embracing the theme!" Fiyero defended.

"You're embracing something," she teased.

"Nice scarf," he teased back. "Pink _does _go good with green."

"Shut up," Elphaba rolled her eyes. "It's for Galinda. And I've told her not to get used to it, so you should do the same."

Fiyero looked out the window, admiring the lights and flowers decorating the table.

"Wow, it looks beautiful out there."

"Well, you'd know in that shirt," she smirked.

Fiyero rolled his eyes. "You can make all the jokes you want, Miss Thropp," he declared. "I happen to be secure in my sexuality."

"I'm glad someone is," Elphaba muttered.

She put down her empty glass and moved towards the door to go outside. She squealed involuntarily as she was suddenly grabbed from behind and swept off her feet.

"Fiyero, put me down!" she protested, laughing.

"Um, no. Because apparently I need convince a certain someone of my masculinity," he growled playfully in her ear.

Elphaba scoffed. "I don't think it was your masculinity that was being questioned-"

She didn't get to finish before he cut her off with a deep kiss that made her really glad she wasn't standing.

"Will you two get a room?!" Boq yelled out from the patio when the others eventually caught sight of them.

"Good idea," Fiyero murmured against Elphaba's lips.

She hit him on the shoulder, blushing as she pulled away.

"Guys, this is _my _night," Galinda reminded them.

"Right. Sorry, Glin," Fiyero apologised, grinning broadly.

"You're not sorry," Elphaba muttered as he set her on her feet.

"Not even a little," Fiyero grinned.

Galinda had set little name cards around the table, so she could control the seating arrangement. She placed herself at the head of the table, with Elphaba on her left and Nessa on her right. Fiyero was seated next to Elphaba, Boq next to Nessa; with her father next to Boq and her mother next to Fiyero.

"I love these centrepieces, Galinda," Nessa said admiringly.

Galinda beamed, looking at the pink roses amidst the table. "Thanks, Nessa."

The food was just as good and even Elphaba managed to eat enough to please the others.

"Galinda, darling, are you going to say something?" Mrs Upland asked when they had finished eating.

"Speech, speech!" chorused Fiyero and Boq.

Galinda giggled and elegantly rose to her feet.

"Ok, ok! Well, first of all, I want to say thank you for all your beautiful presents. I know I haven't actually _opened _them yet, but I'm sure I'll love them. I want to say thank you to Momsie and Popsicle, for being the greatest parents in all of Oz. I love you guys so much," she beamed at her parents.

"We love you too, angel," her father said affectionately.

Galinda sighed happily. "Also, thank you to my beautiful friends. I love you all, and I'd much rather festivate my birthday with you guys than anyone else in the world. And the thing is, I know that there's a gorgeous and delicious cake in the kitchen, waiting for me to make a wish and blow out the candles. But I have nothing to wish for. Not only because I have a wonderful family and friends, but because... because the only thing I could wish for has already come true."

Galinda suddenly became rather choked and her eyes glistened with tears.

"My wish has already become true, because Elphie is sitting here with us tonight," she continued, and a lump immediately appeared in Elphaba's throat.

"You're my best friend, Elphie," Galinda said emotionally. "You're my best friend, and I love you. You're like the sister I always wanted. And we were all so scared this year that we were going to lose you. And I used to wish every night, that you would get better. And here you are, and I'm so glad. So that's why I don't need to make a wish tonight on my birthday cake."

Elphaba silently got to her feet and hugged her best friend tightly. Both girls were crying and the table was otherwise silent. Finally, they pulled away and Galinda wiped her eyes as she laughed sheepishly.

"Ok, sorry. Happy birthday to me!"

"Happy birthday!" Boq echoed, raising his glass.

Fiyero pulled Elphaba close as they toasted Galinda.

"You good?" he whispered.

"I'm good," she returned softly.

"So someone said there was cake?" Fiyero asked the table at large.

Later that night found the five friends sitting down by the lake on deck chairs. Elphaba was sitting on Fiyero's lap and they were all listening to Galinda chirp happily about all the presents she'd received.

"So, I guess the next birthday is... Miss Elphaba's," Fiyero said, grinning at his girlfriend.

"Yeah, I guess," Elphaba said casually.

"We should do something this year," Nessa suggested.

"No-"

"Good idea," Boq agreed.

"Didn't we all establish last year that I _don't _do anything on my birthday?" Elphaba pointed out in protest.

"And didn't I establish that the next year, meaning _this _year, we would be doing something and you didn't have a choice in the matter?" Galinda countered.

"OK, but-"

"And I think after the past year and considering you've _never _celebrated, we should go all out," Fiyero agreed. "Have a big party."

"With who, the five of us?" Elphaba demanded.

"I think you'd be surprised about who at school might want to come, Elphaba," Nessa said.

"Especially if there was free alcohol," Fiyero added. "Ow!" he exclaimed as Elphaba hit him over the back of the head.

"Was that necessary?"

"Yes," she replied.

"What do you say, Elphie?" Galinda asked her friend.

Elphaba sighed and stalled, looking around at her friends.

"Fine," she agreed reluctantly. "But I want it to be noted that I'm _only _agreeing because I know if I don't, Galinda is just going to make it a surprise party."

Galinda's face fell. "Oh, I totally should have done that!"

Fiyero laughed. "I think you'll have fun, Fae. You might surprise yourself."

"Elphie, can I plan it?" Galinda begged. "I promise there'll be no pink."

"Go nuts," Elphaba agreed without thinking.

Galinda squealed. "Really?! Oh, Elphie, it's going to be the most fantabulous party _ever! _Just you wait. Ooh, we should have a theme! Costumes? Or a colour, or maybe-"

"Oh, Oz," Elphaba groaned. "What did I do?"

"Why don't Galinda and I work together?" Nessa suggested to her sister, knowing she'd be able to tame Galinda down slightly.

"Good idea," Elphaba said gratefully.

Galinda was even more thrilled by that idea. "Perfect!"

She and Nessa immediately launched into discussing party ideas, colours, venues and catering options.

"I'm going to get some more cake," Boq said, getting to his feet. "Anyone else?"

"Yes, please," Fiyero agreed, but the others refused. Well, Elphaba and Nessa did, Galinda didn't even hear.

"Just think, we could do masquerade! Or a costume party! Ooh, what about a barefoot ball? A girl I know had one two summers ago, and it was _so _much fun, even though wearing no shoes is kind of unhygienic, but-"

Elphaba groaned softly, dropping her head on Fiyero's shoulder.

He chuckled softly, tightening his arms around her.

"They're doing this because they love you," he reminded her in a whisper.

"I know," Elphaba replied. "Besides... I mean, the big party isn't my thing, but... the idea of festivating for my birthday isn't that bad."

Fiyero looked at her in mock horror. "Who are you and what have you done with Elphaba Thropp?"

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up. It's just... you're right. After this year... I realise I have a lot in my life that is worth celebrating."

Fiyero grinned. "Like... me?" he asked innocently.

Elphaba simply smiled. "Especially you. Idiot," she replied fondly.

He laughed and kissed her tenderly. Elphaba returned the kiss softly.

"Guys, get a room," Galinda said, barely even glancing at the two of them.

"Fine, we will," Fiyero announced and got to his feet with Elphaba still his arms, heading towards the house, ignoring Elphaba's mortified protests.

Nessa just smiled at the sight. "It's like we're watching them get their happy ending, but it's just the beginning, isn't it?"

Galinda couldn't have worded it better herself.

**The End**

**AN. Also, I decided to try a Video Q&A thing, so send me your questions! You can do it in your review, through PM, twitter... whatever. **


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